


Better the Devil You Know

by agrove



Series: Better the Devil You Know [1]
Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Angst, Blood, Dan's an asshole, Drama, F/M, Gore, Hell, Humor, Rape, Romance, Sex, Temporary Character Death, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-06
Updated: 2016-08-06
Packaged: 2018-07-29 18:23:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 60,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7694680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agrove/pseuds/agrove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lucifer and Chloe must find out who is after him and why while simultaneously figuring out their feelings and dealing with pesky brothers and nosey ex-husbands. Part II added, "-exhausted he let his eyes fall closed again and drifted off to a restless sleep, unaware of how much worse it was going to get." Takes place after 1x07</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sympathy For The Devil

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place immediately following Lucifer's and Amenadiel's scuffle on the beach in episode 1x07 "Wingman" and goes from there. Every chapter is a song title. Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Also just as a warning this is between a T and M rating, not terribly graphic but some scenes push the T you and enjoy!
> 
> Song: Sympathy for the Devil by The Rolling Stones

"Lucifer?" Chloe called out as she stepped off the gleaming elevator into his flat. "I feel bad about how we left things," she continued, "at the auction." She glanced around the beautiful and always immaculate flat, her fingers ever so lightly sliding across the ivory keys on the piano next to the bar. Chloe finally spotted the back of his head barely peeking over the top of a leather chair turned and faced towards the city lights.

Her approach was slow, half mesmerized by the view, half by the way he still hadn't responded to anything she had said so far. "Lucifer?" she tried again as she finally approached him, noticing how heavy his shoulders looked and how he was so boneless sitting in the chair it was amazing he hadn't just slid onto the floor.

"What-" she gasped out in a strangled voice when she finally came around the front of him.

He was wearing the same Armani tux from earlier but the bowtie was now undone and hanging loosely around his neck. His clothes were smeared with dirt, sand, and blood and heavily wrinkled. His shoes were still on but scuffed now, contrasting with the brightly polished floor beneath them. A glass of scotch was clutched in his right hand, a cigarette between two fingers lightly burning and sending smoke dancing up his arm.

"Lovely, isn't it?" he bit out, no humor present. His left eye was bruising quickly and slightly swollen, a large cut across his cheekbone and dried blood under his nose and on his lips and chin. The gel was long gone from his hair, which now stuck up at odd angles. It was the first time ever Chloe hadn't seen him look suspiciously perfect and to say it was unsettling was a gross understatement.

"Oh my God, what happened?"

The tall and disheveled man let out a sharp bark of laughter, "Answered your own question love!" His fingers tightened around the tumbler in his grip and he drained the remaining amber liquid before hurling the glass at the wall to his left. The glass shattered into a million pieces, scattering across the floor but Lucifer paid no mind.

Chloe jumped at the noise and chewed her lip momentarily, her legs carrying her over to the man that was worming his way into her life more and more every day. "Are you alright?" she asked softly.

"Do I look bloody alright?" he shouted angrily, jumping to his feet and towering over her small frame. It was a stand of and both were so stubborn that it lasted several tense seconds. Lucifer broke first, deflating slightly and sighing. "Fine. It'll be gone by morning, benefits of being the Devil I suppose."

"Right… But that's not what I meant," she finished and stood up on her tippy toes to better assess the damage. "Who did this?"

His jaw clenched and he tossed the almost out cigarette down on the floor and walked over to the window, his face mere millimeters from the glass separating him from the street four floors below. He continued to stare, his breathing labored and coming out only from behind clenched teeth. He was so lost in thought that he never even noticed the other person in the room momentarily leave before returning a few minutes later with a damp cloth.

"You don't have to talk about it but please let me get you cleaned up," Chloe offered, her hand grabbing onto his bicep and squeezing. "Your nose is still bleeding."

He finally turned and stared down at her, contempt in his gaze for only a fraction of a second until their eyes met. His dark gaze shifted to something warmer and his jaw relaxed, "Yes I- thank you."

She led him by the hand to the couch and sat down next to him before her hand rose and she began to wipe away the blood from his various wounds, waiting for a flinch but never finding one. "I came here to apologize," she began. "I can't pretend to understand why the wings meant so much to you, but if we're really friends, it- it should be enough just knowing that they did. Did you ever find them?"

He tensed a fraction; "I did, but alas I found I didn't need them anymore. Other partied begged to differ."

She stopped her ministrations, "Did your brother do this?"

A heavy, bone deep sigh escaped his split lip. "And they say I'm the one filled with wrath." He stopped speaking when the cloth in her hand approached his chin and finally his lips.

Chloe wiped off the last little bit of blood and traced his lower lip with her thumb, "It's cut pretty deep but should heal fine." When she met his eyes her fingertips began to wander, ever so gently brushing across his cheek. "Your eyes are so dark, I swear they look black." Without noticing she had almost completely climbed onto his lap to clean his face and even after inspecting his injuries her hand was still on his stubble covered jaw.

Lucifer sat still, either unwilling or unable to move under his female companions exploration of his features. He swallowed thickly, his adam's apple bobbing nervously and parted his lips. "Chloe-"

As if burned Chloe suddenly jumped from his lap and cleared her throat. "I am so sorry," she began. "I should really get home and check on Trixie."

Lucifer stood and scoffed, his arms waving angrily before settling on his narrow hips. "That's it? That's the excuse you're going with? Oh bravo detective, bravo," he clapped sarcastically.

She whipped around with fire in her gaze and her hands clenched into fists. "Don't. Don't take out everything that happened to you today on me. We both had a very long day and we're going to leave it at that."

Lucifer opened his mouth but she was already grabbing her purse and heading for the elevator. She pressed the button with more force than necessary and stepped inside, only turning as the doors began to close. "Goodnight Lucifer."

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

All night Chloe had tossed and turned, dreams of Lucifer and those amazing looking wings and nightmares about burning red eyes and blood entering her muddled mind. When she finally woke for the day she was surprised to find the sun already up and stretched her back, her toes curling and her hands brushing the headboard. Giggling from downstairs made her smile softly. Rolling onto her back she forced herself out from under the warm down covers and slipped on a light robe to see what Trixie was up to downstairs. Her jaw dropped halfway down the stairs when she saw not only her daughter watching cartoons but also another figure sitting next to her on the couch.

"Why are all these bloody people naked?"

Trixie giggled, "You're funny."

Lucifer shot her a disproving glare and held up a Barbie doll in his right hand and a Ken in his left. "Where are their clothes? Unless they're prostitutes," his eyes lit up, "Which would explain how they can afford convertibles and mansions and such." He lifted the doll slightly, "I'm onto you wench."

"What's a prostitute?" Trixie asked innocently.

"That would be a question for Detective Dou-, dad, a question for your dad. Now answer my question small spawn, do these tiny people have clothing or is your mother not able to provide them with such?" He gasped dramatically, "Oh you poor dear, you mother's poor. I'll tell Maze to get some at once," he rambled as he eyed the dolls with uncertainty. "Why is the male a eunuch?"

Chloe smiled serenely before snapping out of her early morning haze at the last question. "Lucifer what are you doing here?" she barked, finishing her decent down the stairs and subconsciously tightening the sash on her robe.

He turned and blessed her with a gorgeous smile, "Good morning Detective! Maybe you can answer some questions for me in regards to your offspring's play things."

"Not before you answer me, why are you in my house?" she demanded, her arms crossing over her chest defensively.

He stood to face her better and she couldn't help but admire his tailored suit and long legs, the way he always looked so effortlessly put together.

"Why, I was invited by young Beatrice of course."

Chloe's piercing glare switched to her daughter and the child hurriedly explained, "I wanted you to sleep in mommy and I got lonely."

"Yes mummy," Lucifer chimed in looking all of the cat who ate the canary. "She was bored so she invited her friend Lucifer over to show him her tribe of small naked civilians. Speaking of we really need to discuss their clothing situation further detective, maybe over breakfast? Breakfast in bed perhaps?" he finished with a leer.

Chloe closed her eyes and blew out a breath before forcing a smile, "Trix, honey? Can you go brush you hair and get dressed for the day please?" At the child's nod and disappearance she walked up to Lucifer. "What were you two doing?"

Her tone was sharp and his eyes narrowed at the insinuated insult. "You know I would never hurt you or your offspring. I'm not evil, I punish evil. You should know that by now."

"I know, I know," she offered softly. "It just scares me that Trix lets people in while I'm sleeping."

"Understandable but I'm not people, I'm the Devil." His grin was infectious. "Now about breakfast, I was thinking something…" his dark eyes fell to her lips. "Sweet."

"Trixie, Chloe? Where you guys at?" Dan shouted from the door. As soon as he noticed the other occupant he glared. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Lucifer's smile instantly transformed to a sneer, his body spinning gracefully to greet the man. "Really Chloe, you need to invest in some sort of lock. People just barging in here, it's not right."

"Like you?" she deadpanned at Lucifer before calling for Trixie, "Daddy's here Trix."

Dan finished his approach to the pair and asked his ex-wife again, "What's he doing here?"

"Well we were having a discussion about breakfast before you so rudely stormed in," Lucifer interrupted. "Don't you know how to knock or is that too advanced for you?"

Chloe placed a soft hand on Lucifer's sleeve and looked at her ex-husband. "Lucifer came over for breakfast, Trixie invited him."

"You stay away from my daughter," Dan ordered, his finger pointing up to Lucifer's face. "I don't know what your end game is but you keep my baby girl the hell out of it."

"Believe me Detective Douche, when your offspring is in my presence she is the safest child on this Earth. Heaven nor Hell would dare lay a hand on her," Lucifer all but growled, his eyes taking on a slightly maniacal glint.

Trixie chose that moment to reappear and ran over to Lucifer, attaching herself to his leg and making him try to pull away with a look of confusion and disgust. "It's touching me. Detective Decker it's touching me!"

Chloe rolled her eyes and handed Dan their daughter's lunchbox, "Trix that's enough of a hug, we don't want to scar Lucifer to badly."

Trixie smiled brightly up at the overly tall man and giggled when he patted her uncomfortably on the head, "Off with you then little hell spawn."

After the father daughter duo left Chloe arched a brow at the one remaining person. "Trixie's gone now Lucifer, you can go home now."

He scoffed, his hand rising to his chest in disbelief. "That's the thanks I get, for keeping your heir safe? What about my payment?"

Chloe sipped the warm brew she had previously poured into her cup and laughed, "What are you talking about?"

"I babysat your offspring! I accept many forms of payment, sins of the flesh work best…" he smirked.

He had expected more of a battle, to be thrown out just like the numerous times before but instead of rebuffing him she simply took a step towards him, softly grabbed his face and kissed his cheek.

Lucifer didn't move a muscle, only his eyes following hers. All humor was gone from his face in an instant, in its place a curious and hopeful spark.

Chloe pulled away a fraction, her hand still on his almost too warm cheek and let her eyes wander over his face from the stubble on his chin to his dark eyes and long lashes. "Lucifer I…"

A shrill ring broke the silence making the two jump, Lucifer stepping back and staring in contempt at the heavens. "Damn it all to hell!"

Chloe reached for her phone and answered quickly, her mind scrambled as she tried to watch Lucifer and listen to the call. The former was pacing around looking uncertain and frazzled, a look she hadn't seen before and wasn't sure if she liked or not. By the time she ended the call it was like nothing had happened, his hands were stuffed into his pockets and he was looking at her expectantly.

"What new case awaits us? People to punish and all, lets go. Chop chop."

She nodded slowly still trying to figure out what was happening between last night and this morning. "Let me get dressed and before you ask no, I don't need any help. I'll meet you in the car."

"If you insist," he replied with a small bow and a lecherous grin. After turning she heard him softly singing, "As heads is tails just call me Lucifer 'cause I'm in need of some restraint."


	2. Friend Of The Devil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I love angst, I love writing it and reading it but try as I might I cannot get this to go anywhere but Fluffytown. There will be some angst and some hurt/comfort though because smooth sailing is just plain boring.  
> Song: Friend of the Devil by Grateful Dead

The car ride was silent for the first mile, Chloe not knowing exactly what to say and Lucifer for once sitting still and staring out the windshield. It was starting to wear on her, he was being entirely too respectful. Time for an intervention, a sassy Lucifer was the preferred to this quiet one.

"What is it with you and Dan?"

Lucifer whipped around to face her at the sudden and seemingly random question. "Detective Douche? I simply don't understand how such an idiotic oaf managed to not only catch your eye but somehow carry on a relationship."

She frowned slightly, "So you give him a hard time because we were in a relationship?" Her eyes brightened and she grinned, "Are you jealous Lucifer?"

He scoffed and crossed his arms, "Of that little twit? Preposterous."

Try as she may she could not get her grin to fade in the slightest, "Not of him- "

Lucifer cut in, "Well I'd bloody hope not! I'm infinitely more handsome, rich, successful, and intelligent. I'm practically a walking fantasy."

"-but the fact that he was in a relationship with me."

At this the man finally quieted and turned to fully look at his female companion. His eyes took in her beautiful face and trouble making grin and he sighed.

Chloe prepared herself; she had been waiting for this moment, for them to talk about everything that had happened recently and where it was going. She didn't know what she wanted him to say but she was excited for the possibilities good or bad, for Lucifer to finally open up.

"Have you always been this conceited or is this a recent development? Not everything is about you Detective."

Or not.

Chloe groaned, "Yes Lucifer, it's always about me."

"Good on you to admit it. Now tell me about the case."

Lucifer only half listened to what she was saying instead wondering what was happening between them. She was immune to his charms and influence, that much was painfully obvious, so what was the source of these sudden bold moves of hers? It couldn't be actual feelings, could it? Did he want to get involved with his only real friend, would it change things for the better or would he be better to just leave it alone? "I need to call Maze."

Chloe arched a brow, "Have you been listening to anything I just said?"

"To all the boring details? No, not really." He pulled out his phone and as soon as the car pulled up to the crime scene he jumped out and quickly walked away.

"Maze."

"Duh." Came the reply after only a couple rings.

Lucifer pursed his lips, "I believe I'm developing something, something atrocious and I'm wondering what to do with it."

"Dammit, is it contagious? You're getting too mortal and with all the sex…"

"What? No! Feelings, for Detective Decker."

The line was silent for a full minute, "I thought we weren't talking."

"I haven't forgiven you, and you will be dealt with at some point as will my brother but for right now I need you Mazikeen." As a last resort he continued on, his voice dropping to a whisper "I made you, for me. Nothing will ever change that. You'll always be the Devil's right hand."

A huff filled the line. "So feelings huh? Sounds gross."

"Why do I even try?" he groaned. "I'd be better off asking Dr. Linda."

"Ok, ok. So you have, ugh, feelings? Just go for it Lucifer, you're the one that wanted to be here and in charge of your own life. Take charge. You wanted to act like a human, well humans fall in love. Gross, sticky, carnivorous love."

Lucifer's eyebrows drew together, "I'll admit I'm not the first to understand everything mortal, but I'm quite sure those adjectives don't apply in this instance. Any who ta-ta." He slid his phone in his pocket and nodded, yes he would act on these so called feelings.

"So what do we have here?" he asked with a mega watt smile, appearing at Chloe's side inside the old warehouse.

"A double homicide, try not to look so happy," Chloe explained, her attention on the bodies and not on her partner. "Did you talk to Maze?"

He nodded once and if possible his grin seemed to intensify. "I did! I've come to a conclusion on a bit of a dilemma that's been vexing me as of late. Now I only have to figure out how to execute." His tone had dropped into something smoother, something that forced her to turn and look at him.

She swallowed as his eyes seemed to darken even more and take on a predatory glint. Forcing herself to turn back again she noticed a shimmer on a railing and tried to reach for it, her hand barely brushing against the steel. "Ugh, does someone have a ladder?"

The uniforms scattered to begin searching but Lucifer only stepped forward with outstretched arms. "At your service love!"

Without warning she was suddenly thrust into the air, her feet dangling. She gasped as long nimble finger grabbed her waist and lifted her effortlessly into the air. Trying to ignore her rapidly beating heart at the strangely intimate move she peered at the railing and picked up at what looked to be an earring. "Hmm."

Instead of letting her go Lucifer simply lowered her slightly and peered over her shoulder. "Well share with the class, don't leave us here shivering in anticipation."

The small item shone brightly in her hand, the light reflecting as she rolled it between her fingers. "It's an earring, and it looks real. Why would this be up here?"

"Dammit Lucifer put her down!" a voice boomed.

To no ones surprise he didn't comply, not even bothering to turn and properly address their newest arrival. "Ah Detective Douche, always the buzz kill."

"Is there any particular reason his hands are on you Chloe?" Dan demanded.

Chloe rolled her eyes and tried to get down, finally whacking Lucifer in the chest and forcing him to release his firm yet gentle grip. "I couldn't reach something so Lucifer- you know what? No, it doesn't matter. What do you need?"

"Found out where the victims were last seen," he answered briskly and flipped open his notebook to relay the details.

Lucifer took in the pair, huddled closely together reading the information and speaking about the victims and where to start. Something in him felt heavy when he watched them together, a feeling that settled deep in him and filled him with dread. "Curious," he whispered and prodded lightly at his flat stomach wondering where it was coming from and what in particular has caused it.

Chloe instantly noticed her partner's actions. "You ok?"

"Yes," he answered quickly. His hands disappeared into his pockets as he rocked back and forth on his heels in a show of nonchalance. "Just reveling in the human experience."

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Another case closed, I believe congratulations are in order." Lux was full, bodies dancing and alcohol flowing freely, the music setting a dark and sinful tone over the club. Everyone seemed in a partying mood except for two figures tucked in at the very far end of the bar.

Chloe grinned, "Why thank you," and clinked her glass to Lucifer's. "And as much as it chaps me to say it I couldn't have done it without you."

"Well of course not," he agreed silkily. "I am quite the puzzle solver recently, aren't I?" He downed the last of his drink and set the glass down, "Maze! Another."

Chloe smiled and looked around, "I don't think she's here."

"Where in the me did she get off to," he wondered before wiggling his brows, "Or with whom did she get of to." He laughed when his partner rolled her eyes and stood to lean over and grab the bottle on the other side of the marble bar. His face dropped when he saw it was empty. "Well damn."

Chloe hiccuped and burst out laughing, knowing she was much more intoxicated than she had realized. "I should really be getting home."

"Home?" Lucifer scoffed. "The night is young Detective, I have more upstairs." He stood and ushered her to the elevator, "Come, come."

Upstairs Chloe collapsed into the couch letting out a groan at how lovely it felt against her tired bones. A pleasant sigh escaped her lips and she allowed her eyes to fall shut. "Feels so good."

Lucifer chose that moment to appear over the back of the couch with a grin and a glass of scotch. "Yes it does, as do I. Would you like to lie on me perhaps? I can elicit much more pleasant noises out of you than this piece of furniture." She didn't respond and he realized she had fallen asleep. With a soft smile he grabbed a blanket and threw it over her, taking care to tuck it under her legs and softly ran his knuckles over her smooth skin.

Not wanting to leave her alone and finding he wasn't tired in the slightest he sat in the closest chair and took a sip of his drink, his eyes peering over the top of his tumbler at his house guest. She was an enigma, what was it about her that his powers of persuasion didn't work? Nothing seemed to work on her yet here she was on his couch and he wasn't doing a damn thing about it. Chloe was intoxicated, tired, and in his home. His mojo might not work on her but he had no doubt he could have everything he wanted with just a little push but the thought revolted him. He could never harm her, lie to her, could never imagine doing anything to upset her. She was his weakness, and the thought terrified him.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chloe yawned widely and stretched before opening her eyes, her heart suddenly racing at the fact she wasn't in her bed and didn't remember how she had gotten here. After waking a little and realizing she was in Lucifer's flat, and thankfully fully clothed and alone, she removed the blanket from herself and stood to find him.

Sunlight was barely streaming through the space, just peaking over the horizon and she couldn't help but stop and admire the view. It was quite and peaceful here, two words she didn't think really applied to Lucifer. Speaking of.

She knew roughly where the bedroom was, having seen him retreat to it a few times and emerge, naked. A large door met her, black in color and gleaming like the rest of the apartment. It was slightly ajar which she took as in invitation and her hand curled around the wood and pushed slightly to see if he was in.

Lucifer was laid across his bed, still dressed in yesterday's clothes minus his shoes and jacket and snoring softly. His hair was starting to curl slightly from moving and he lifted his arm above his head revealing a sliver of pale smooth skin above his slacks. Just as she was about to fully enter Maze exited the in suite bathroom looking a little tousled. They could only stare at each other with wide eyes, Chloe opening her mouth but never getting anything out before Maze forcefully grabbed her arm and drug her from the room.

"Whatever you're thinking, stop," the bartender ordered.

Chloe crossed her arms defensively, "And what, pray tell, am I thinking? That Lucifer just slept with you while I was on his couch? That I actually thought for a second he had changed in the last few weeks? He'll always be a playboy. I'm out of here."

"He called me," Maze whispered harshly.

"And that makes it better?" Chloe seethed as she grabbed her coat and purse off the bar.

Fed up Mazikeen walked over and cornered the blonde, "I don't know what he sees in you but you better listen up. I live for Lucifer; he is my everything and if you break him I will rip apart everything you are. He called me, to talk about you."

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh," Maze sneered. "Better watch it kitten, I've got bigger claws."

The elevator slid open and Maze stepped on, the look on her face daring Chloe to follow her.

"Leaving so soon Detective?"

Chloe whipped around to find Lucifer standing only a foot away, a lost and almost hurt expression on his face. "No, I-"

He smiled tightly, "Yes, just having a quick chat with Maze before setting off."

Dammit, he had heard everything. "Lucifer-"

"You sure painted quite a picture didn't you? Do you really think so lowly of me that I would bed another while you were here in my home under my watch?" he asked through gritted teeth. "I guess you really don't know me."

Chloe sighed and rubber her hand across her forehead. "I'm sor-"

"I'd like you to leave now."

He was breathing harshly, staring down his nose at her and his eyes, instead of being filled with rage, looked almost mournful. "You're just like all the others."

Instead of trying to fix it she turned and walked to the elevator, each step echoing louder than the last.


	3. A Girl Like You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: A Girl Like You by Edwyn Collins

Lucifer Morningstar was a very powerful man.

To the humans and animals roaming the earth to the demons and damned souls in hell, everyone bent to his will. It wasn't simply that he deserved it, which he did, but that he demanded it. With simply a look or a clench of his jaw people knew they had crossed the wrong man, that there was a very good chance they would never get to learn from their mistake and live to die another day. It wasn't even just fear that motivated people and demons around him; he was just as sweet as he was sinister. A whisper of a few well chosen words and women and men alike seemed to melt, a handsome grin charmed even the toughest soul.

Even the angels in heaven showed him a begrudging respect, only the archangels not cowering when he noticed them. He was beautiful, his father's first and favorite son and it showed. Every feature on his face was sharp and precise, every limb long and lean yet powerful, and his wings- his wings were the things of legend. Every feather placed with love, gleaming and shining with divinity and power.

Until he had burned them in a fit of rage, a move many angels assumed he regretted on more than one occasion.

All in all the world, underworld or mortal, was his oyster and that was why he found himself walking down the boulevard playing with his Pentecostal coin and humming a steady tune. He was done with feeling mortal, powerless and pathetic. He was ready to reclaim whom he once was, before he met a certain detective that had rendered him incapacitated in more ways than one and proven that she held the power, not him. Every piece of material was impeccable on his pressed suit, his shoes gleamed brighter than the sun, and not a single black hair was out of place on his head. This, this was how the devil walked the earth, a beacon of perfection in a world of filth.

"You're the devil!" a man shouted from atop a soapbox to his left.

He paused to look at the pseudo priest who was pointing a trembling finger in his direction, his long fingers reaching into his pocket to fetch a cigarette and a lighter. A puff of smoke left his soft pink lips after a moment and a wicked grin split his face beneath his black eyes. "Damn straight."

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey Lucifer, it's Chloe- again," the female detective sighed into the phone clenched between her shoulder and cheek as she flipped through some photos on her desk at the precinct. "I know I upset you and I'm sorry for that but it's been two weeks and you haven't returned my calls and Maze won't let me in the elevator at Lux. Just- just give me a call. Please? We have a case that I could really use another set of eyes on."

With a soft sigh she removed the phone from her ear and pressed the red end button before tossing it carelessly on her desk and leaning back to run her hands through her hair. It was bothering her, more than she'd like to admit, that Lucifer seemed to have dropped off the face of the earth. She hadn't heard anything from him, not a call or even a sighting by a tabloid magazine and it was worrying her.

She hadn't meant to hurt his feelings but he was taking this entirely too far, it wasn't her fault that she had a hard time trusting people. After all her mother had never been much of a mother at all and had let her down more than once, Dan had cheated on her, and not to mention all the cases of adultery and abuse the department had to deal with. Jaded was the first word that came to mind and she loathed that she had gotten a glimmer of hope and allowed herself to try to see a future with Lucifer.

"So stupid," she whispered to herself. Men like Lucifer weren't meant to carry on relationships, they were the one and done, the one night stand types. He had seemed to change so much though recently, finally thinking about others on occasion and sharing more of his thoughts and feelings. So what that she had made a mistake and wrongfully accused him, it was only a matter of time before it actually happened.

Not to mention the whole, 'I'm the Devil' thing.

What was frightening was that he truly believed it, truly thought he was a fallen angel. Had he given himself the scars to fit with his persona or had he suffered a mental break because of the scars and created a new personality? It was just too much to think about so she pushed it to the back of her mind and focused on her work.

Yes, the two seemed to be going on different paths, their once budding friendship seeming to wither in the recent days. Or it would have, if fate had not intervened.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You need to see this."

Chloe looked up at her ex-husband and swallowed a groan; one woman could only deal with so much before she reacted. "Hit me."

Dan waved for her to follow and made his way through the bullpen to a private office, twisting and carefully avoiding all the other desks and officers milling about. As soon as they both entered the office he gently closed the door and grabbed a remote sitting on the table, his hands on the controls but his eyes on Chloe.

A video suddenly appeared on the screen showing a hooded figure shrouded in darkness, their voice distorted. "And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever." The video zoomed out and the figure moved out of the way to show a tall thin figure in a suit tied to a chair with a bag over his head. He was struggling and released a blood curling scream when someone in the background suddenly shot him in the stomach.

"Jesus Christ," Chloe whispered as the screen went dark. "Is that- no."

Dan shook his head, "We don't know. I sent uniforms over but the club is closed until seven and we can't get in touch with anyone. Have you tried to call him?"

Chloe's shaking hands clutched her phone tightly and she immediately dialed a familiar number for the second time that day. After only a few rings the phone went to voicemail. "Dammit! I have to go check on him, stay in touch and find out where the hell this video came from."

She didn't wait for a response, just rushed past him and out into the parking garage where she jumped in her car and squealed away. Her entire body was shaking with adrenalin, her hands twisting back and forth on the leather steering wheel. If Lucifer was hurt she- what? What would she do? Only this morning she had told herself she was done with the man yet here she was rushing to his aid, maybe there was more there than she realized.

Slamming the car in park she rushed out of the open door, struggling with the seatbelt for a moment but finally escaping it. Her feet pounded on the pavement, her hands reaching out to grab the handles of the back entrance to the club and swinging it open.

"Lucifer!" she called frantically and gasped when she saw glasses and bottles smashed on the floor in front of the bar. "No, no, no. Shit!"

"What's got your panties all twisted up? Obviously not me," a smooth male voice sounded from her left.

Chloe whipped around and just stared at the man she was here to check on. He was here, safe and sound sitting on the black piano bench without a care in the world. It was too much and even though she would deny it to the day she died, she let a few tears escape.

Lucifer watched her curiously from his spot but leapt up when she took in a shuddering breath and wiped at her eyes. "What in the world has you so upset? You're shivering like a leaf." Without any hesitation he gathered her up into a tight hug and pressed her head to his chest, his arms holding her in place. "Is it Trixie? Is your offspring alright?"

"Yes, Trixie's fine," she sniffed before shoving him away harshly. "What are you doing here?"

Lucifer laughed in disbelief, "I live here as you're well aware."

"No," she shouted before sucking in a few steadying breaths. "We got a video at the precinct, it was someone reciting a bible verse and they had someone behind them that they shot, and- and they looked just like you."

The devil frowned in confusion, "Well as you can see I'm quite alright. All parts accounted for, I assure you."

It was just too much, seeing him here just fine. "Why haven't you been answering my calls?"

"I thought we could use a bit of a hiatus," he explained stiffly. "I needed to regain my perspective." His head quirked to one side in an almost non-human way, "But it seems that all that perspective just flies out the window when you barge in." Not wanting to dwell and still feeling the slight burn from their last interaction he rolled up his sleeves and finished his drink. "Now what were you going on about? Someone made a movie with me in it? Was is salacious?"

"No," Chloe replied as she sank down into one of the luxurious couches in the club. "It was upsetting and- confusing. If it wasn't you in the video then the video could only have been sent as a warning." Her eyes lifted from the floor to his face. "Someone's out to get you."

"Well tell them to get in line," was his dry reply. "My dear brother just left, hence the reason half my inventory is on my marble floor. If he chipped it I'll rip the wings right off his bloody back."

Chloe looked back at the damage and grimaced, "He did this? Did you want to report him?"

"You humans and your laws. No, I'll deal with him myself."

The pair lapsed into an uncomfortable silence, both refusing to look at another. It was Chloe that couldn't hold it in any longer. "Look, I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions the other night but you way over reacted. I mean two weeks? I offend you and you don't talk to me for two weeks? If we're really partners, or friends, or whatever then you need to move on."

Lucifer's eyes narrowed dangerously, this is what the reason was for their recess from each other. She didn't control him, no one did. He was the Lord of the Underworld, the Light Bringer, the-

"I miss us."

-sucker for Chloe Decker. "Well I tried," he whispered under his breath.

"Fine, I apologize for my behavior. This whole feelings thing is new to me and apparently I still have much to learn," he announced as he walked over and sat down next to the detective. "I'm quite used to doing what I want when I want to so this is- new."

"Thank you," she smiled, her hand grabbing his and squeezing.

Lucifer looked down at her small hand and twisted his so that their palms were touching. It was really amazing and truly frightening how she could so easily disarm him. No one had ever had this affect on him, in all of existence, yet this petite woman with the sharp tongue had managed to strip him down almost raw in just a matter of a couple months. Their fingertips met and Lucifer shifted his to fall between hers and marveled at the sight of their intertwined fingers. Something was pooling deep in him and even though he would like to say it was lust it was something more, something deeper.

"Chloe, I-" he broke off not knowing how to continue.

She nodded for him to continue and looked up at him earnestly, knowing he only said her given name when he was feeling truly vulnerable.

His other hand raised and smoothed a piece of her long blonde locks behind her ear before cradling her cheek, his thumb softly caressing under her beautiful green eyes. A soft huff of laughter left him, "Chloe Decker you have no idea how hard it is to restrain myself in your presence."

This was it, the moment Chloe had been waiting for but before she could get her fairy tale moment someone had to go and fuck it all up. Just as he had leaned down to press his lips to hers Maze had burst into the room with a panicked cry of, "Lucifer!"

The man had turned in confusion and fury to see why exactly his right hand had burst into the club and interrupted his private moment when he suddenly jolted forward.

People were shouting, Maze was throwing what looked to be knives, and Lucifer was staring at his detective in pure bewilderment. He pitched forward again and grabbed onto Chloe's shoulders, his breath coming in short hot pants against the smooth column of her neck. She pushed him back a little and grabbed his face, forcing his attention onto her. "Lucifer, what just happened?"

His eyes were growing unfocused but he smirked anyway, blood staining his normally perfect white teeth. "Well my dear, it seems you were correct. Someone is out to get me."


	4. Rebel Rebel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Rebel Rebel by David Bowie

Chloe tried to stem the panic that was threatening to over take her and tightened her grip on Lucifer as he slid bonelessly to the floor, blood spilling from his lips as he continued to try to laugh. "I think the universe is trying to tell us something love, too bad I always was a horrid listener."

"Stop talking," she ordered as she ripped open his vest and dress shirt and looked for blood, her police instincts taking over. "Nothing anywhere, no blood, no wound. What hit you?" she wondered, her hands gliding over porcelain skin.

"Perhaps you should check in my slacks?" he grinned before coughing up more blood, his smirk finally slipping a fraction as his hands clenched in obvious pain.

Not knowing how to help him and knowing that the threat that caused Lucifer's injury was still around she covered him with her body and drew her weapon, her eyes quickly scanning the room. As a testament to how rough Lucifer was feeling he didn't even make a comment about her being on top of him. A scuffle could be heard from by the entrance but she couldn't see what was happening, a few seconds later Maze walked over to the pair sporting a split lip and looking grim. She dropped down to Lucifer's side and checked him over quickly with her eyes.

"I injured one but the other got away."

"Is that a curse I feel?" the devil coughed as he tried to sit up. "Someone's been reading."

Chloe forced him to stay down with a firm hand on his chest, "Don't move I'm calling 911."

Lucifer grabbed her wrist loosely and shook his head, "Just let it run it's course, it'll be over soon enough. Whomever cursed me didn't realize I'm actually the devil, it'll be through me in a bit."

"Um, no," Chloe scoffed and pulled out her phone to call a bus.

"You weren't paying attention," Maze seethed, her eyes boring into her master's. "You're too mortal to not pay attention. We shouldn't be here, you know that and this proves it!"

Lucifer looked rough but his eyes looked harder than ever. "I don't mind the odd remark, Maze, but don't you dare disrespect me," he wheezed.

Maze rolled her eyes and was unable to stop from whispering, "You've been a fool."

Lucifer suddenly sat up from the floor in a blur of motion and fisted Maze's black shirt, his eyes glowing red for only a millisecond as he jerked her forward in a show of remarkable strength. "You will not speak to me this way!" he bellowed.

Chloe couldn't help but fall back at his sudden movement but it was more than that, almost instinctual to get away. The lights flickered when he yelled, a bulb exploding on the other side of the club. The power rolling off of him was all consuming, it was like he himself was sucking all the light and air out of the bar and for the first time ever, Chloe felt almost afraid of him.

Maze looked like she was trying to bite her tongue off, expression overflowing with lust and admiration but also rage. "As you wish," she gritted out before standing and disappearing.

Lucifer let out a sharp breath and glared in the direction his bartender had gone before suddenly coughing and gagging slightly on more blood. "Damn curses, thrift store witches," he griped while falling back onto the floor. "Sassy demons and arsehole brothers. Damn the whole lot to hell."

He turned slightly and frowned at Chloe's expression. "Do I have something on my face? Besides ichor, obviously?"

"No, no," she whispered before clearing her throat and speaking louder. "That was just uh- intense."

He held her eyes in something akin to defiance, "Yes well someone's got to keep her in line."

"Are you breathing ok?" she asked when he rolled onto his side and hacked again before spitting a scary amount of blood onto the floor.

He nodded, "Fine, feels like a bloody nose that won't stop." She shot him a flat look and he continued with a sheepish look. "And like all my organs are trying to escape from their confines but that's all, and who doesn't love a little pain?"

"Most people?" she countered. "Oh God, are you going to start talking about S&M?"

"Would you like me to?"

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was Dan who burst into the club first and he froze at the strange and intimate scene. Lucifer was lying on the ground pointing to the ceiling talking about how 'bloody dusty' it was and tracing his finger absently across Chloe's palm. The latter was sitting down right next to his head and holding a bloody tissue in her other hand, using it to wipe away some of the viscous material from his lips. An EMT pushed past the frozen detective knocking him back into reality. He trotted down the steps and walked over to Chloe who was standing up and letting the EMT's work.

"What happened?" Dan questioned.

Chloe looked wrecked, pushing her hair back and wiping her hands up and down her face. "We were just sitting and talking when he suddenly fell forward and started coughing up blood. He has no marks, no nothing. It's weird but it won't stop. There's two suspects, one escaped and one is out cold in the front entrance."

"Who got the suspect?"

She smiled wryly, "Lucifer's ninja bartender, Maze."

Dan nodded and pulled her into a hug in a show of not only concern but also possessiveness. His mouth thinned to a line when she shrugged him off and walked back to Lucifer who was now on a stretcher and seemingly charming the hell out of the two male EMTs. Only Lucifer could still be attractive and flirting while spitting up half his blood. After taking a moment to pick up the shattered pieces of his ego he approached the nightclub owner.

"Ahh, Detective Douch, come to kick me while I'm down? Now's your chance, best not waste it," he wheezed pathetically.

The man rolled his eyes, "What happened?"

Lucifer grinned maliciously, "You mean before or after Detective Decker finally succumbed to my devilish charm?"

"It's like you want me to hit you," Dan muttered.

Lucifer cocked his head in curiosity, "Do you wake up and give yourself a douche pep talk? Be the best douche you can be?"

"Ok," Chloe interrupted before either could really get going. "Dan you can take his statement at the hospital, Lucifer I'll see you there." She turned to begin to process the scene but a cold hand latched onto her wrist stopping her forward motion.

"You're going to leave me at these two chaps mercy? All by my lonesome?" Lucifer rasped. "What if they want to have their wicked way with me? I am terribly hard to resist."

She nodded and grabbed his hand, "I have to help here, I'll be by as soon as I'm done and for some reason I feel like you're more of a threat to them than vice-versa."

"Touché," he replied before looking at the EMTs again. "I'm getting bored already so tell me boy, what is your deepest desire, hmmm?"

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By the time Chloe arrived at the hospital it was well into the evening, the sky black and the hallways quiet and empty. Her shoes clicked loudly in the corridor and she subconsciously tried to walk softer to lessen the abrasive noise. Approaching the nurses station she looked around and frowned at the fact that she couldn't find anyone. Her fingers tapped on the counter a few times and she even softly called out, "Hello?"

"So weird," she mumbled. Figuring she had nothing to lose she began to wander around looking for anyone that could help her. Giggling from a room at the very end of the hallway caught her attention and she peeked around the corner and rolled her eyes at the rooms occupants. Lucifer was sitting on a hospital bed with his arms behind his head watching television while four nurses giggled at his commentary.

Chloe leaned against the doorway and crossed her arms, "Why does this not surprise me?"

The way Lucifer's face transformed from bored to child like excitement made her heart skip a beat. "Detective!"

She entered the room and stared at all the other women, clearing her throat and waiting while they all reluctantly left the room. Finally alone Chloe walked over and dropped into a chair next to the bed, "Why aren't you in a hospital gown?"

He looked down at his black slacks and a white t-shirt, even wiggling his bare toes. "I don't do gowns detective. My pants were fine but my shirt and vest were ruined, someone decided to rip all the buttons off," he finished with a pointed stare.

Chloe couldn't help but crack a smile, "What'd they say? I'm assuming you're fine since you're here watching the Price is Right reruns."

"First off shut your yap because this show is a treasure trove of greed. Secondly, internal hemorrhaging, no known cause. Apparently a curse isn't a recognized ailment in 21st century America," he smiled casually.

Her eyebrows knitted together, "So they don't know what caused it?"

"I'm sorry, am I having trouble enunciating today?" he snarked. "I. Was. Cursed." Seeing her expression he huffed and sat up, tossing the remote down. "Enough chit chat, take me home."

She stretched and leaned back in the chair, unsuccessfully stifling a yawn. "I'm exhausted, can you call Maze?" Her eyes opened blearily at the lack of response and she jerked when two hands landed on her shoulders from behind, how had he moved so fast?

"Better yet," he whispered softly, his lips sinfully close to her ear. "How about I drive you home seeing as it is my fault you've been up for nineteen hours straight and I feel just dreadful about it?"

"And you're doing this out of the goodness of your heart?" she asked flatly.

"Of course!" he smiled while grabbing her keys from a nearby table. "And if you feel so inclined to thank me for my hospitality than please don't refrain on my behalf."

"Mmhhhmm," she muttered sleepily.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chloe blinked a few times, fighting against the harsh morning light and smiled at how relaxed she felt. "Wait," she said to the empty room before jumping up and looking down at herself. "Clothes, clothes are good." She padded quickly across her room and down the hallway, quickly descending down the stairs to where she could hear voices.

"Lucifer?" Trixie questioned from her spot at the kitchen table.

The man dropped another pancake onto her plate and pointedly stared down at her. "What?"

"Are you my friend?"

Lucifer set down the take-out box and took a seat across from Chloe's daughter. "I traumatized another spawn for you. Even though I don't trust you, yes I suppose someone could very loosely use the term to describe our relationship."

Trixie nodded, pleased with the answer before again asking, "Lucifer?"

"What?" he snapped, holding the 't'.

"Do you like my mommy?"

Lucifer leaned forward and looked at her intensely, her expression far too innocent. "I'm here feeding her offspring when I could be at home sleeping in my high rise apartment, yes I like your mother. She's a puzzle I have yet to solve." He suddenly grinned widely. "Do you know what I really like about your mother? The way her mouth-"

"Good morning!" Chloe announced and walked swiftly into the kitchen with a glare.

Lucifer leaned back and smiled, "What big ears you have detective."

"The better to hear you with and what are you doing here?" Her eyes took in the breakfast on the table and she looked at him again. "Did you make breakfast?"

The look on his face could only be described as offended. "Of course not, what kind of devil do you think I am? Lucifer Morningstar does not cook. I stopped and picked up breakfast for you and your offspring so the poor dear wouldn't starve. It's after eleven."

"Well isn't that domestic of you," she deadpanned around a piece of bacon she had plucked from her daughter's plate. "And Trixie how are you back already? The sitter was supposed to wait for me to call her."

"I called Lucifer mommy," Trixie interrupted. "He met me here."

"Yes I did," he smirked before standing and straightening his jacket. "Well I best be off, Maze and I have a few things that need discussed," he announced, his finger tips barely ghosting across Chloe's lower back. He smirked as she shivered and softly whispered, "I shall see you later Chloe."


	5. Where the Devil Don't Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Where the Devil Don't Go by Elle King

Lucifer walked confidently into Lux, his stride aggressive and quick. "Maze," he barked out before continuing on to the bar and grabbing a clean glass from behind it. His eyes quickly flickered across the bottles before he chose one and poured a few fingers into the crystal tumbler.

Maze appeared from the shadows, silently and dressed in her usual black leather, and crossed her arms. "What?" she hissed.

The man scoffed at her in amusement, his eyebrows raising and show casing his sparkling eyes. "My aren't we testy today, something you'd like to share love?"

The demon shot him a flat look and snatched the glass out of his hands, downing the contents and slamming it down on the bar. "While you've been playing house I've actually been trying to figure out what I can about whose trying to kill you. That curse wasn't from your run of the mill wannabe witch."

"No it wasn't, my organs can attest to that," he agreed as his hand dropped down and rubbed absently at his stomach through his pressed shirt. "Well let's lay down the facts, shall we? Whomever it is didn't realize I was actually the Devil or they wouldn't have tried to curse me."

"Or," Maze interjected. "They thought that curse would actually work on the Devil. No one on earth actually knows your strengths or weaknesses, everyone has made that abundantly clear."

"Don't remind me, I've had it to here with all the goats and various livestock references." He refilled is glass and pointed with his finger from around the tumbler, "Did you get anything from the suspects before you maimed the one? Speaking of why is that person still alive?"

She smirked, "Other than screams, no not really and I didn't kill him because in case you forgot the police were here." She sobered and continued on, "We do have to assume they'll try again."

A heavy sigh left the man and Maze frowned, was he getting tired? It wasn't like him and she vowed to keep a closer eye on him. "Yes well, they got lucky with the first one. I won't let them get to me again, fool me once and all that. Now on to other pressing matters, how are things progressing with my dear brother?"

Maze shifted slightly, her eyes skitering to the wall and her shoulders hunching minutely. Lucifer's eyes narrowed. "Oh please tell me you're not going to start wearing matching shirts and be one of those couples. You're a demon Maze, he's an angel. Remember that."

"You're an angel," she replied sharply before crowding him and licking up the side of his neck, "and once upon a time I was your demon."

He gently pushed her back a step and stared down at her patiently, his hands resting on her shoulders. "I'm different and you know that, I made you. Amenadiel has only one loyalty, and that's to Dad. Don't let him fool you, unlike me other angels lie. Not to mention the feathered prick has tried to off me more than once."

She jerked back and nodded, hating that he was probably right and cursing herself for allowing her defenses to drop. "I'll keep an eye out for any info about who attacked you."

"For what's it worth, I am sorry."

She looked at him and waved him off, "I know."

Lucifer watched her brooding form walk away and shook his head, regardless of their past transgressions he cared for her in an almost fatherly way. He had made her as a companion, a protector, an aide, a dare he say friend and here he was having to protect her from his brother. It wasn't the first time he had ever protected her and it wouldn't be the last, she was more family than any of his other brothers.

He had taken great pride when he made her, his first made demon instead of just a twisted soul. Every inch of her and her personality had been carefully crafted to suit him, yet he had given her something his father hadn't allowed his children to have, free will. Lucifer wanted her to choose what she wanted, choose to stay at his right side and when she did he knew she would be with him until the end of time, or the unlikely event of either of their demise.

He sat back on a couch in the club and kicked up his feet, thinking back to simpler times. Life in hell had been easy but like all things easy they get boring quickly. A little torture here, a little lust there and that was about it. Life on earth was exciting, seeing people commit the sins that allowed for him to punish them, getting a sense of what it felt like to be vulnerable which was slightly more terrifying than he initially thought. Yes, coming to earth and leaving the dismal underworld behind had been the right choice and had it not been for him insisting on a reprieve from down below he never would have met Chloe Decker.

A soft, dare he say loving smile spread across his lips, Chloe Decker was a gift from above and as much as he hated to admit it, one of his father's finer creations. Long soft blonde hair, light green eyes and a perfect figure but it was what was inside that really tickled his fancy. She was a complete enigma, unlike anyone her had ever met and it intrigued him. The detective was hard and sarcastic yet caring and faithful, had a sense of right that never waivered and had the patience of a saint.

Speak of the- well, him. His fingers reached into his pocket to fetch his phone and he glanced at the screen. "World's handsomest devil," he purred after putting the phone to his ear and sitting up.

"Dan interviewed the suspect, seems he worked in a church here in Los Angeles and has been spending a lot of time there. I'll be there to pick you up in a few minutes then we can go talk to the priest."

Lucifer glared at the heavens, and stood to go fetch his jacket. "Alright but take your time, I'm much too sober to go to church."

Chloe pulled up to the back entrance of Lux and waited while Lucifer threw down his cigarette and stomped it out with the toe of his John Varvatos shoes, his sunglasses slipping just a hair down his nose.

"Detective," he greeted, sliding into the seat and suddenly wondering why he never got to drive anywhere.

Chloe pulled out onto the street and handed Lucifer a case file, "Everything we have so far on your attack, figured you'd want to take a look."

"Well your assumptions weren't wrong," he muttered distractedly, flipping through the pictures and reports. "Not much here."

Chloe bit her lip, "I know but hopefully we'll get some more from the priest."

Lucifer leaned forward and looked up at the huge stone building and read the sign, "Our Lady of Peace and Virtue Church of the Roman Catholics. Well that's an unnecessary mouthful, and that's a term I've never used before."

"Really?" Chloe asked, bemused. "Sex jokes about a church? Should I just tell you to stay in the car?"

The look on his face was innocent but his mouth was quirked ever so slightly at the corner. "I'll behave."

Lucifer walked into the church a few steps behind Chloe and glanced around at all the religious paraphernalia. He snorted and rolled his eyes earning him a glare from someone sitting in the back pew. "You humans," he muttered under his breath and continued deeper into the church, leaving Chloe alone as he went to explore his surroundings.

"Father," Chloe greeted respectfully as an older stout man approached her near the front of the pews, his collar and robes making it obvious who he was.

"Hello my child, what can I assist you with today?" he asked warmly.

"Actually I'm with the LAPD and I have a few questions about one of your parishioners and volunteers," she replied as she flashed her badge on her belt. "A Mr. William Young was recently involved in a crime and we were wondering if you could give us some insight into his life."

"Of course," the priest agreed. "William was always a troubled child but after coming of age and joining the church he has made remarkable progress. He's been reading many of the books here and has seemed to really be diving into the religion as a whole."

Chloe nodded, "Could I see the books he was looking at? Do any of them mention curses?"

The priest frowned heavily, "Curses? I'm afraid not detective, only the word of the Lord. While curses were previously recognized we no longer have anything to do with such things."

"Right," she replied. "Did William have a girlfriend or any siblings, anyone he was close with?"

The balding man nodded, "His sister Alecia, they've always been close. I'm afraid I don't know where she resides."

Lucifer took that moment to appear from behind the alter and step up to the podium. He knocked his knuckles on the wood and looked around, "One gently used crucifix up for bid, do I hear one sin? Two?"

The priest sputtered and turned to look at the detective, "Is he with you?"

"Unfortunately," she deadpanned.

Lucifer jumped down the shallow steps and finished his approach and looked around again, "Quite grand in here, with all the stained glass and such. A little gaudy for my tastes with all the dead people on the walls but he always did love when people stroked his ego."

The man looked confused before his eyes suddenly widened and the blood drained from his face, "You, you, you're-"

Lucifer's grin widened to the point Chloe wondered if it was actually painful, you could almost see every one of his pearly white teeth. "Yes, seems you've heard of me. Lucifer Morningstar, always a pleasure to meet a fan."

"Evil," the man whispered and stepped back quickly.

Lucifer turned and looked at Chloe, "Could you give us a minute love, I have something to discuss with this preacher man."

"Um, sure." Chloe felt very strongly as if she was missing something but trusted Lucifer enough to walk away with only one backwards glance. "Just don't offend anyone, more than you already have."

Lucifer waved cheekily at his partner when she glanced back before exiting the house of worship, "Now," he gritted out turning sharply to look at the other man, the holy water suddenly beginning to boil and steam around them, every candle flickering. "You know who I am and what I'm capable of so let's cut to the chase shall we?"

The man only nodded, his rosary clutched so tightly in his chubby fingers that his knuckles were turning white.

"Oh stop that nonsense," the devil barked. "A piece of plastic isn't going to save you from the likes of me. Now, I was cursed and I want to know by whom. You said our mutual friend Billy had a sister named Alecia, correct? Where does she live?"

"I don't-" the priest tried before gasping at the sight in front of him.

Lucifer's eyes were glowing red, the formally black orbs burning with what looked to be fire. They seemed to be lit from within, every fleck of orange, red, and yellow swirling and sparking. It was like looking into a gateway to hell. "Don't lie," he interrupted tightly, his teeth clenched. "I'm sure I can find something deep hidden in that robe to punish you for."

"She lives off of Main, in an old Victorian," the man stuttered. "God will strike you down!"

Lucifer stepped closer, his chin held high and his gaze locked on the priest. "Got news for you padre, I'm immortal."

Chloe watched Lucifer leave the church from the car and wondered why he looked so agitated, what had been said in the church? His long legs carried him quickly and elegantly down the front steps and she waited for him to enter the vehicle. "Everything ok?"

"Fine," he answered curtly, his hands wrapped around each other on his lap and his eyes boring holes through the windshield and into the church.

She tried again, "You know you can talk to me right?"

"I don't like talking about my dad."

Chloe began to reverse the car, her mouth forming a circle. "Ohhh, because God's your dad."

"Exactly." Whether he didn't hear her sarcasm or just chose to ignore it she wasn't sure. "Everyone acts like he's so bloody great. The man flooded this entire planet, killed all the first born sons of an entire country and yet I'm the bad guy."

Hating that she was starting to just accept his delusions but knowing it was the best way to reach him she just went with it. "I'm sorry your dad wronged you so badly."

Lucifer threw his hands up and slid down in the seat slightly, "One damn step out of line and I'm punished for all eternity. Who holds grudges like that? Didn't I deserve to be happy? Isn't that what every father is supposed to want for their son?"

The detective stopped at a red light and glanced at her passenger, "What'd you do?"

He sat up abruptly, "I refused to act like everything was hunky-dory when he created humans. Dad created the archangels, then the others and pre-programmed us to do exactly what he wanted. Then he created you lot and gave you free will, something we weren't allowed to have and then, the icing on the cake mind you, was that we were supposed to bow down to you! You of all things! Little insignificant simple creatures filled with sin."

"Trying not to feel insulted here," she mumbled.

Lucifer leaned back in the seat and stared dejectedly out the passenger window, "I refused. I thought he would listen to me, his first born son, but instead he damned me forever to deal with the scum of the earth. If I hated the humans so much I could spend eternity with their damned souls." He laughed bitterly, "I always was big on irony."

Chloe could only nod and after pulling up to the precinct she put the car in park and fully turned to face him. Her hand reached out and grabbed his, her small fingers squeezing between his larger ones. "I'm sorry that your dad never forgave you and that you hold so much resentment but Lucifer, you've got to let some of that go. Even if it's not for him but for you, you have to try to move on because I think you'll be happier for it."

Lucifer new she didn't understand, couldn't understand, what he was saying but appreciated the sentiment regardless. He squeezed her hand back and met her eyes, "Do you think me a bad person?"

"A bad person? No," she answered honestly before cracking a smile. "An ass? Yes. An egotistical narcissist? Maybe. But a bad person? Never."

"Why have we not had sex?" he wondered aloud.

Chloe coughed in surprise and jerked her hand back, "Wow, switching gears pretty fast there. Let's just focus on the case alright?"

"Fine," he agreed and followed her out of the car. "But at some point we will, you must know this. For a bit there I felt like I was getting close but now it seems you're choosing to ignore it." He smirked down at her blushing face, "Fine, I'll play. The devil might not be known for patience but I do love trying new things."


	6. Devil Like You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Devil Like You by Gareth Dunlop

Maze and Lucifer strode up to a large purple Victorian home settled on the very end of a street barely peeking out from numerous trees and shrubs. It looked taken care of to an extent but something about the home seemed off and when Lucifer knocked on the door Maze stepped forward, barely an inch between them.

A young woman swung open the door and smiled at them with uncertainty, "Can I help you?"

"Yes I believe so," Lucifer answered, "Are you Alecia?"

The girl nodded once and looked harder at their faces, "Do I know you?"

Lucifer stuck his hands in his pockets and laughed, looking to Maze who smirked. "Do you know us? Silly child of course you do!" His smile vanished in an instant. "You're the one who tried to kill me."

The girl tried to slam the door shut but jumped back when Maze kicked it in. "No, no! You have me mistaken for someone else! I don't know you!"

Lucifer waited for Maze to grab her before leaning down and looking her in the face, "Billy Young, ring a bell?"

The girl nodded through the tears cascading down her face, "That's my brother but I haven't seen him in years before a few weeks ago. What does this have to do with Bill?"

Lucifer stood tall and frowned, "The priest said you two were quite close."

"I'm his sponsor," she cried. "I've been trying to help him get clean but he started getting really angry lately and pulling away. It's that stupid girlfriend of his!"

Lucifer waved a hand and Maze stepped back, popping a piece of gum between her teeth and sheathing her knives. "I require a name and if I find out you're lying I will come back for you."

The girl nodded fearfully, "She calls herself Raven and she's weird, like really weird. She thinks she's a witch and does all this occult stuff. I don't know where she lives but she's always hanging out at that bar downtown, The Nest or whatever."

Lucifer straightened his coat and walked out the door, closely followed by Maze. He turned at the last second, "If the police show up to ask you anything about Billy it would be in your best interests to not mention our little chat." The girl nodded quickly, her face pale.

"Do you believe her?" Maze asked curiously as they walked back to the car.

"Yes, the girl was petrified." He fished a cigarette from his pocket and lit it, "But she's not telling us everything, keep an eye on her Maze."

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Nest had turned out to be a total bust, people had heard of her but hadn't seen the woman in question in a few days, since the day before the attack to be precise. The case was growing cold and while Lucifer wanted nothing more than to catch who cursed him and show them exactly what the Devil was capable of he knew he had other things that required attention.

Amenadiel had been suspiciously absent as of late and it was starting to wear on Lucifer, Maze was still keeping tabs on him but with the demon keeping a closer watch on himself she wasn't spending as much time with the angel. Plus with all the feelings between himself and Chloe it was starting to become a bit much. Solitude is what he needed and that was how he found himself in his apartment drinking straight from a bottle of top shelf whiskey and staring out over the city with David Bowie playing through the space.

"Luci."

The Devil spun and coughed on the liquor. "Oh bloody hell you prick, just because you can pop in whenever you like doesn't give you the right! I know I'm famous and all that but why did my stalker have to be you?"

Amenadiel smiled, "Always the joker Luci. I came here because I have a story to tell you. It's quite funny."

"I highly doubt that," the devil muttered. "You've got the personality of a hemorrhoid but go on, amuse me."

The angel watched Lucifer sit down and cross his long legs before beginning. "I was sleeping this morning you see and suddenly I get the feeling that something's wrong. So, being who I am I try to find out what it is. I look all over and I can't find out what's making me feel this way."

"You're boring me, skip to the end."

"It was Hell Luci, the souls are getting restless and here's the funny part- I'm done babysitting."

Lucifer grinned and began to laugh, taking a sip of his drink and continuing, "Of that is funny isn't it?" He jumped up from his seat and threw his glass on the floor, "In fact it's bloody hilarious," he shouted, all humor gone.

Amenadiel took three steps and crowded his much thinner older brother, "I'm done, this ends now."

The punch was fast, catching Lucifer off guard and making him stumble a few steps, the next two knocking him back several feet. "I'm going home, and you're going back where you belong Luci, to hell."

Lucifer tried to throw a punch but instead was picked up and thrown down on one of his favorite tables, the stone and glass shattering at the impact. "Bet you wish you had those wings now, don't you brother?"

Lucifer began to grin, his eyes glowing amber. "Oh little brother, has it been so long that you've forgotten?"

Amenadiel's eyebrows drew together, "Forgot what?"

The Devil's hand came out of nowhere, catching the angel in the jaw followed by another and another. "I don't have to have wings to beat you, I'm an arch angel!" He picked his brother up and slammed him against a wall, whipping him back and forth like a rag doll. "Wings don't make the angel bro, I'm still me."

The black winged angel head butted him and taking in the dazed look on his face surged forward and tackled him to the ground, punching his head against the floor repeatedly. "Yes you are. The fallen, the embarrassment of all things divine, our Father's only mistake." As soon as the words left his lips he knew he had crossed a line.

"Mistake?" Lucifer screamed, the walls trembling and ground shaking, bulbs bursting as sparks showered down on them. He kicked his brother off of him and jumped up, his hands clenched in fists of rage, his eyes burning brighter than ever before. With only four steps he crossed the room and hauled up his brother by his shirt. "I am what all others were cast from, I am the definition of perfection, I am the Morningstar!" he screamed, finally throwing his brother across the entire apartment and right into the wall of glass that held his liquor collection. Not waiting to see if his brother would rise or not he stomped over and stood over him, a maniacal glint in his eyes and blood staining his teeth. "I suggest you use the one thing I don't have and fly away, before I lose my patience."

In a blink the other man was gone leaving Lucifer heaving in exhaustion, his body shaking with adrenaline. His dark and wild eyes took in his apartment laying in ruin and he licked some blood off his lip. "It wasn't supposed to be like this," he whispered almost brokenly to himself.

"Lucifer?" Maze asked softly from the elevator.

"Go away Maze," he ordered softly.

She ignored him, entering the space and grimacing at the sound of crunching glass under her feet. Part of her felt responsible for all this, maybe if she hadn't ever spoken to Amenadiel none of this would have happened. Or maybe it would have been dealt with long before this. Maze watched her maker walk to the only not broken piece of furniture and sit down, his trembling hands lighting a cigarette and lifting it to his mouth. She finally realized that he didn't look tired, the devil didn't get tired, but weary.

"All I ever wanted was to be my own man here. To be judged for my own doing. And for that? I've been shown how truly powerless I am," he said almost to himself. "All I wanted is to live, for once on my own terms but all I've done is muck it all up just like everything else."

Maze tried to walk over but he jumped up from his seat and pointed at her, "Stay away Mazikeen, just stay away from me. Everyone needs to leave me the hell alone." He grabbed his jacket and dusted the glass of it before retiring to the elevator and disappearing into the night.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chloe hung up the phone and shook her head at the weirdness of the entire situation.

"What's up?" Dan asked, noticing her expression.

"Lucifer, he's ah- missing. Maze just called me," she answered distantly. "Said he and his brother had a big fight and that she's really worried. That he seemed really off."

Dan pursed his lips and hated the words that were going to come out of his mouth. "Well let's go find him." Dan loathed Lucifer, for many reasons both personal and professional, but he had helped with numerous cases and seemed to be a constant presence in his ex-wife's life so if this is what it took to be in Chloe's good graces this is what he would do.

The pair drove the streets around Lux looking for any clue as to where the night club owner could have gone, the windshield wipers hastily moving back and forth in a vain attempt to keep the glass dry. "It's starting to rain harder," Chloe announced. "Drop me off here and you go look up the next block, he's got to be here somewhere."

"I'm not dropping you off in the rain, you take the car!" Dan shouted when she swung open the passenger door. "Chloe!"

Chloe ignored him and ran to the sidewalk, quickly walking as her eyes swept back and forth. Relief flooded through her when she saw a familiar tall form standing in front of a religious store, hands shoved in his pockets and his hair plastered to his head. When she approached she slowed, something was off about him. Chloe walked silently up to his side and followed his gaze, a picture of angels sitting in the window.

"They always omit me in paintings, act like I never existed."

She stepped in front of him and took in his appearance, his face was battered and bruised and blood was partially dried around his nose but his eyes looked the worst. Lucifer's dark eyes always held so much emotion, whether it hate or amusement but right now in this moment they just looked empty. He looked entirely too human, and for someone that called himself Lucifer and always looked like a GQ model it was unsettling.

"Come on, let's get you out of the rain," she pried softly, her small hands wrapping around his arm but he didn't budge.

"Just a mistake?" he scoffed. "Don't see your unsightly face on anything."

Chloe's hands grabbed the man's face and she rose to her tippy toes, "Lucifer!" When he again didn't respond she did the only thing she could think of, she kissed him.

Her lips were warm against his colder ones, his stubble just barely tickling her skin. It wasn't a chaste kiss but it wasn't an overly emotional one either, just a firm connection between the two, dark and light coming together. When she finally pulled back she waited for any sort of a response. Water droplets were running down his face, gathering on his long lashes before dripping onto his cheekbones and his ears, which always seemed to stick out slightly, were more noticeable. He looked younger in this moment, more of a boy than a man and she suddenly wished she could see him like this more often.

Lucifer blinked rapidly a few times, as if coming out of a haze and stared down at his companion, finally seeing her. His head tilted slightly to the left and he held her blue eyes before finally speaking. "Did you just assault me?"

She snorted but before she could respond his lips were upon hers.

Kissing Lucifer was exactly as Chloe had imagined it, firm yet smooth, filled with emotion and lust. It was all consuming, a fire that seemed to devour and pull at her very soul leaving her wanting, no needing more. 'I'm like walking heroin' he had said but this, this was more addictive than anything she could have imagined. A small groan left her throat when his tongue slid across her upper lip; his hand splayed wide in her hair and his scent filling her nostrils.

Lucifer finally pulled back with a light nip to her bottom lip and stared at her, really stared as if the puzzle he was trying to solve just got a lot more complicated. This was never part of the plan and even though it sparked terror inside him it also lit something he had thought long extinguished. It wasn't supposed to feel like this, no human, angel, or demon had ever come close. The rain falling down upon him suddenly felt like a baptism, this gorgeous creature in front of him absolving him of all his sins and for just a moment, it was like his wings had never been cut off.

A car honking made Chloe peek around her partner's looming form and she internally screamed when she saw Dan looking a lot less than pleased. "Come on Lucifer, get in the car."

Chloe sat in the front next to her ex-husband and Lucifer sat, dripping wet, in the back. He was quiet, his gaze unfocused and his normally overpowering personality seemed much more subdued.

It was Dan who finally broke the tense silence, "So Lucifer, I'll drop you off at Lux."

"Don't bother," he replied. "My loft is in total disarray."

Chloe turned in her seat, "That must have been some fight between you and your brother." At the look in his eyes she blushed and tried to backpedal. "I mean, it's just that-"

"I'll deal with my gossip later," he cut in. "Detective Douche, just bring me to a five star hotel."

Dan's hands tightened on the steering wheel and he took a corner a bit too fast, forcing down a smirk when Lucifer shot out his hands to keep himself from hitting the window. "I'm not your cabby and last I checked I'm not a babysitter."

Chloe waited for a retort but one never came. She turned back again and took in the sight of the powerful man in the back seat looking like a drowned kitten who was waiting to be swept away. It was the first time she had ever felt pity for him, knowing that someone like him most likely rarely felt like he was on the losing end of life.

"Just bring us back to the precinct, Lucifer can come home with me."

Lucifer's eyes lit up a bit and he seemed to perk up, "Splendid! Yes, I very much like this idea."

Dan slammed on the brakes at a light and looked at his ex like she was crazy. "You're joking right? He's not right in the head Chloe! He is not allowed in the house with you or my daughter! I saw that back there, he's the wrong guy for you."

Chloe jerked back as if slapped. "Lucifer is a good man Dan, who cares if he thinks he's the devil or whatever? And- and it's not your house so you have no say and Lucifer would never hurt Trixie, and I would never put our daughter in danger!"

Lucifer raised a hand from the back seat. "Right here, can hear you both."

Dan pressed on, ignoring him. "The guy is a psychopath. He didn't exist before five years ago Chloe, you have no idea who he is or what he's done."

"Devil, devilish things," Lucifer interrupted.

"Why don't you just say it Dan? You don't want him to be with me because you want to be with me! No one will ever be good enough because they're not you!" Chloe shouted, her hands gesturing wildly.

Now it was Dan who jerked back, "That has nothing to do with it!"

Lucifer leaned forward and rested his arms across the front seat, his chin resting on his hands. "You're lying."

Chloe screamed in shock and anger when Dan reached back and punched Lucifer in the face, which normally wouldn't have fazed him but with all the damage still fresh from his brother he fell back and winced at the pain shooting through his head.

"Bloody hell!" he cried, his hands trying to ebb the throbbing.

As soon as they pulled up to the precinct a block later Chloe jumped from the car and helped Lucifer out, "We're leaving Dan, I suggest you keep your mouth shut and just be thankful Lucifer isn't pressing charges."

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I didn't even think you owned sweatpants," Chloe laughed, her arms crossed.

Lucifer moved the bag of ice from his nose and shot her a disgruntled look from his spot on the couch, "First off they're Belstaffs, not any of that Wall-World or whatever that dreadful place is clothing, hell even this t-shirt is Armani, secondly you can't expect me to relax in dress slacks and pressed shirts."

She grinned and nodded, "Fine, I guess you're right."

"Of course I am," he agreed. "I'm just glad I made you stop so I could collect my things, I can't imagine what atrocity you were going to dig out of the back of the closet for me to wear." He shifted under a blanket Chloe had gotten him and tried to get comfy, moving every few minutes to a new position. "How small is this blasted thing?"

"Normal sized," she replied around a yawn. "It's not the couches fault you're taller than anyone else." Taking pity on him she opened her mouth before she could think it through. "Just share the bed with me upstairs."

He instantly scrambled to throw the blanket off of him and wrestled the pillows to leap off the couch. "Worst seduction line ever, we'll have to work on that but for tonight I'll let it slide."

"No, no!" Chloe interrupted, her hands held up in front of her. "I just mean that since you don't fit and you've had a long day that maybe we can share, if, and this is a big if, you can behave."

He stalked forward, his hand reaching to palm her waist and his other cradling her cheek boldly. "Behaving is boring, why not have a little fun Chloe?" he grinned.

It was like a live wire running through her when their lips met for the third time that day and it took all of her resolve to pull back after only a moment. "I'm not ready for that yet and as much as you want to be, I don't think you are either. You had what sounds like a really rough day and Trixie is in her bedroom."

"Well than what is the point of the sleep over?" he almost whined.

"To sleep," she replied dryly. "Now come on before I come to my senses and kick you to the curb."


	7. Scars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This first scene is based off an art sculpture, if you'd like to see it google 'Lucifer wax sculpture' and it should come up, it's haunting and amazing.
> 
> Song: Scars by Papa Roach

"Lucifer?" Chloe called into a massive empty room, her voice echoing off the stone walls surrounding her. It was dark and the air tasted stale on her tongue, a chill working up her spine making her shiver.

"Lucifer, where are you? Hello?" she tried again. Fear began to settle in, making her heart beat faster. Her steps made no sound on the floor and when she looked down she saw she was barefoot. Something compelled her to keep going, deeper and deeper into the room until she was surrounded by nothing but darkness.

A small noise made her turn to her left and she saw a small glow from behind a set of massive wooden doors. Her hands grasped the cold bronze handles and she pulled them open, hinges creaking at the effort. The room was so bright that she had to cover her eyes against it, light pouring in through large stained glass windows high in the air.

As her eyes adjusted she realized she was in an old church, marble columns and religious icons littering the walls and in the middle of the windows, in front of the alter, was Lucifer.

He was just standing there staring at the wall, his face blank and eyes unseeing. Suddenly huge stark white wings erupted from his back; the massive objects splayed wide, the tips almost touching the ceiling. Every feather lay perfect, seeming to glow from within. They were the most beautiful things she had ever seen and silent tears began to run down her face, feelings of hope and adoration overcoming her.

The walls began to tremble, dust falling from cracks that were quickly forming in the ceiling, plaster raining down. Black cords appeared from nowhere shooting towards Lucifer and wrapping around him tightly. The man was screaming, a horrible otherworldly noise that echoed off the walls making it louder and louder. More cords descended from above getting tangled in his wings and Lucifer began to struggle, his wings flapping wildly as his feet kicked and his arms waved. It was torturous to see such a wild and free creature tangled and suffering, unable to fly. The attack lasted for what seemed like an eternity until finally the man was still. The cords had gotten so tangled around him and in his wings that his feet could no longer touch the ground, his arms forced out on either side of him and his wings trembling.

"Oh my God," Chloe cried trying to run to him but as much as she ran, she got no closer. "Lucifer! Lucifer!" she screamed but it seemed to fall on deaf ears, the man just hanging looking alone and if she didn't know better, afraid.

A woman appeared to his right side and walked towards him, blonde hair obscuring his face, her movement too smooth to be considered human. She approached quietly and tenderly grabbed his face, forcing him to look up at her. "Why?" he asked hoarsely.

"Because," she replied, "You always knew you'd die alone, just like you deserve." Blood suddenly began to drip from Lucifer's lips, cascading down his chin. The woman giggled and let his head drop back down, the blood covering her hands. She turned and faced Chloe; Chloe falling back when she realized the woman was her. "Isn't that right Chloe?"

Chloe woke with a start, her eyes snapping open and staring at the sleeping figure next to her. Her heart was pounding, sweat pouring off of her and she sat up to try to catch her breath. Feeling like the walls were trying to close in on her she rose quietly and walked to the bathroom, closing the door and splashing cool water on her face and neck. "What the hell was that?" she whispered to her reflection. Combing her hair back with her fingers she pulled it up into a messy bun and walked back to bed, silently climbing back under the covers and trying to calm her mind. She turned her head and eyed the man next to her, the moonlight casting a soft glow on his features.

Finding she couldn't help herself, just wanting to reassure that that terrible dream wasn't real she lifted her hand from under the blanket and reached out to touch him. She stopped just shy and pulled back, not feeling right touching him while he isn't awake. It was a testament to how much he trusted her that he was sleeping soundly in her bed, not even waking when she had gotten up. Lucifer had enemies, and from what she could tell didn't trust easily so seeing his face buried in pillows and hearing soft puffs of breath escaping his barely parted lips was an accomplishment in itself. He shifted slightly and yawned before rolling onto his stomach and clutching the pillow tighter.

His scars. The moonlight caught them in a way that other light had not, the skin appearing so much more angry. A small piece of her wondered if he really did have wings there, viciously cut from his back by Maze in an attempt to separate himself from heaven and hell. The logical part of her wondered if his father had marred his skin when he was younger and what he could have done to cause such massive scars. She had never told Lucifer but she had ran his prints once to try to get more information on him but it only came up as Lucifer Morningstar, with nothing showing before five years ago. He was such a mystery yet always truthful, never telling her a lie.

"Stop thinking so loudly," he mumbled into the pillow. "And stop staring at me, you could have had this but chose not to. Suffer the consequences. Feel the wrath of my punishment."

"How'd you know?" she whispered.

"I'm the Devil love, someone's always watching me."

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Lucifer awoke first for the day and quickly rolled out of the bed and walked to the bathroom, closing the door and grasping the edge of the counter. Last night had been terrible, it had felt like he had been strung up, tied and incapacitated and he hated it. He splashed some water in his face; unknowingly mirroring Chloe's actions from last night and stared wearily at his reflection. Something was wrong, an itch that he couldn't scratch, a crawling sensation that was working its way from his back making him want to claw his skin off. His shoulder popped uncomfortably as he forced his arms behind him to try to scratch his shoulder blades that were starting to burn. "Son of a bitch," he muttered before grabbing a small towel off a hook by the sink with both hands and rubbing it across the spot.

It felt like someone was holding a flame to his skin while simultaneously tickling him, the sensation too much for him to bear. He threw the towel down in disgust when it stopped helping and resorted to slamming his back against the wall and sliding up and down. "What in the deuce is it?" he growled, finally turning and peering over his shoulder to look into the glass.

His eyes widened at the sight of his scars, they were raw and bleeding looking very much like the day he and Maze had come to Los Angeles. He bent his arm backwards and gingerly touched it before bringing his hand back around and looking at the blood on his fingertips, whipping around and staring at the wall where there was thankfully no blood somehow.

"Lucifer?" Chloe called from the other side of the door.

"Yes love?" he called as steady as he could.

"You ok in there?"

Despite the horrible start to his day he couldn't help but sass her. "Well that's quite rude to ask isn't it?" He heard her sigh and footsteps retreating allowing him to continue to try to figure out what the hell was happening without the added stress of hiding this from Chloe. The dreamer in him wished she would stop her ignorant and blatant refusal to realize who he was but a small part was afraid she would reject him and one rejection per lifetime was enough for him. It would make things so much easier and he had never really lied or hidden who he was but he also had never put it on full display in front of her either. Knowing he would have to leave the bathroom at some point he grabbed the towel from the floor and wiped as much blood away as possible before stepping out and looking for his shirt that he had shed sometime in the middle of the night.

A sharp pain in his left shoulder blade made him drop to his knees suddenly but he fought against it and dressed for the day in slacks, leather belt, and shined shoes. He frowned heavily before putting a shirt on though, yes he wanted to cover it but at what cost to his Armani suit? Hanging out with Chloe Decker was proving disastrous to his wardrobe, between the gun shots and bleeding thing he was going through numerous shirts a week.

The itch intensified, pulling him from his thoughts and he began to claw at his skin ignoring that he was doing more damage than good.

"Are you finally done in the- oh my God," Chloe shouted, reentering the bedroom without Lucifer's knowledge. "What happened to your back? Did you do this?" she questioned, stepping closer to eye the damage.

Lucifer didn't stop scratching but did manage to burn her a look, "Yes detective, I had nothing better to do than self-mutilate. It's part of my morning routine, you should give it a go sometime."

She ran to the bathroom and grabbed a few towels before running back and staring at the wounds, "I don't understand, they were fine last night. And stop scratching!"

Lucifer was starting to get a crazed look in his eyes, his back muscles twitching every so often as he fought against himself to continue scratching. Decision made he grabbed his t-shirt instead of his dress one and slid it on, "I'm leaving, I'll um- speak to you later."

Chloe scoffed as he quickly walked from the room and down the stairs, "Lucifer you're not going anywhere." She followed closely and body checked him away from the door when he grabbed the handle.

He stared down at her in a mix of shock and amusement, "Did you just manhandle me away from the door? You know I do like it rough."

"Yes I did and I'm sure you do," she huffed and stood against the wood, blocking his exit. "Please let me help you with your back."

He smiled softly before pursing his lips, "Oh you're so swee- No! Just let me leave before I start carving my back off with a cheese grater." To accentuate his point he tried to reach back and scratch the offending objects.

Chloe grimaced at the thought and staved off a gag, "First off, ewe. Secondly just let me take care of you."

"No!" he shouted insubordinatly, stomping his foot in a child like manner for good measure and jerking slightly as an itch seemed to become overpowering.

Fed up and knowing she still had to get Trixie ready for school she stalked forward and swiped out her foot and shot out her hand into his shoulder, effectively knocking him down to the floor with an 'oof' from the man. She stepped over him and grabbed his wrist to twist him onto his stomach and placed a knee on the back of his neck. "I have no time this morning to deal with you and get Trixie ready, you are going to let me help you and then we're going to figure out what the hell happened."

Lucifer lay still under her before he began to chuckle. "If you're trying to frighten me I can assure you, you are doing quite the opposite. It's taking all of my self control to not ravage you right here, consequences be damned."

Chloe rolled her eyes and leaned down to press a soft kiss to his temple, her hand running through his hair. It was all so new and exciting being with him, her first real interest since Dan and she reveled in the feeling. She removed herself and helped him up, "Go to the kitchen, I'll be in there in a minute and if you try to leave I will run you down and over with my car."

Lucifer mock saluted her and obediently walked away just as Trixie opened her door.

"Mom?" Chloe looked at her daughter who had emerged from her bedroom and was sleepily rubbing her eyes. "Is Lucifer here?"

"Yeah baby but he's not feeling really well, can you get dressed for me and get ready and I'll make you some breakfast?" she asked after dropping to her knees and hugging the tiny love of her life.

Trixie looked like she wanted to run out and look for the man but instead nodded and turned around allowing Chloe to walk to the kitchen.

"Surprised I'm still here?" he questioned with an arched brow at her expression. "Is the hell spawn awake?"

"Would you stop calling her that!" she groaned, already looking in the cabinet for everything she would need for his back.

"It's a term of endearment. She's growing on me, like a fungus."

Supplies readied and on the counter she turned and ordered Lucifer to remove his shirt, which of course made him launch into several innuendoes and crude jokes. Chloe made him bend over and lean on the counter so she could properly dress his wounds but before she could even touch him he was wincing and almost shying away. "What's wrong now?"

He didn't look at her, his head resting on his arms and facing the opposite wall. "I don't like anyone touching them," he offered quietly.

The fight left Chloe in an instant, "That's why you wanted to leave. Lucifer look, I have no idea what happened to you but I'm so sorry it did. If you don't want me to touch them I won't, you can go home and have Maze help or somehow try to do it yourself but I promise you I'll be gentle and I would never judge you. If you want I can just try and you tell me if you want me to stop."

Lucifer hated feeling vulnerable, it was one of the things he loathed most and right now leaning over the counter with his scars exposed made him feel like life was about to pull down his pants and screw him. He chewed on his lip for a while and tried to ignore the onslaught of burning that was spreading across his back again before he finally spoke. "Fine."

It was a big moment in the trust department for him and he was thankful when Chloe offered him a distraction. "So you say you're the devil but you come across as more of a devil on your shoulder type than a fallen angel that likes to punish people."

She watched him pull out something from his pocket and saw it was some type of coin. When he started speaking she began to clean his back, listening closely to his answer and focusing on keeping her touches soft and only necessary.

"There are two very distinct sides of the devil," he began, his knuckles flipping his Pentecostal coin back and forth. "The first side is the fun one, the creator of sin and purveyor of fun. I very much enjoy doing what I like when I like to and bringing that out in others as well. Inhibition is such a tawdry thing, why stop yourself from enjoying every second?" He winced and jerked away slightly when Chloe's hands hit a sensitive spot before continuing. "Pleasure, no matter the kind, should not be denied. I simply help people achieve the highest amount they can, directly or indirectly."

"And the other side?"

"The other side," he paused and grasped the coin tightly in his fist. "The other side is much darker than the first. The devil is not what you humans have interpreted but he's definitely a darker soul. As I said before sin is fun, but you humans just have to take it a step further and that's where I come in. Murderers, people filled with hate, sexual deviants, they all don't deserve to rest after life so I make sure they don't. I'm not going to lie; I very much like to punish people, the more irony and imagination the better. I feed of rage and pain, take satisfaction in breaking the mind and body."

He set the coin carefully on the counter on its side and flicked it to it would spin. "I walk a very fine line between the two, pleasure and pain. I slip every so often and lean more to one side but I always try to remain in the middle."

"I've seen you angry but never sadistic," she wondered aloud, no judgment in her tone.

The coin stopped spinning and landed flat on the counter, devil side up. "Better the devil you know, than the one you don't. Plus I came to Los Angeles for a fresh start, wouldn't be much of one if I went around torturing people."

Chloe tried to pick apart his little speech to get any actual real life aspects out of it instead of just his metaphors but she was more focused on his back. She grabbed some tape and after laying gauze over the wounds carefully covered the edges and rested her hand on his lower back. "All done."

Lucifer snatched his coin up and stood, "They actually do feel better and I don't feel quite a violated as I thought I would."

"Peroxide, itch cream from when Trix got into poison ivy last year, and gauze. You should be good for a while." She grabbed everything and put it back away, "Why do you think it was bothering you so bad? Aren't those old scars?"

"Five years," he answered off hand and grabbed his dress shirt. He slipped it over his shoulders and began to button it. "No idea what caused it, I woke up feeling like I had been strung up all night with the spot where my wings used to be driving me mad."

"Tied up?" Chloe asked, her face suddenly pale.

Lucifer's brows drew together at her sudden change in demeanor, "Yes, why?"

She laughed shakily at herself and shook her head, "No reason, I'm just being crazy. Go sit down and I'll cook you and Trix breakfast."


	8. Fare Thee Well

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter started on a light note and somehow became something different than I had planned at the end but I think it worked well.
> 
> Song: Fare Thee Well by Oscar Issac and Marcus Mumford

Dan burst into the house, the door slamming open and banging against the wall as he ran in and frantically looked around.

Everyone sitting at the table turned to look at him before going back to eating, Lucifer's eyes beginning to sparkle with mischief.

The detective closed the door and watched the three of them being entirely too domestic for his liking, Chloe handing Lucifer a piece of buttered toast and gently coaxing Trixie to finish eating. He was supposed to be at that table with his wife and daughter, not this other man, this insane and begrudgingly rich and handsome man.

"Just what I like with my morning tea, a side of douche," the devil chimed in, raising his cup in greeting. "We were wondering when you would barge in here. I see the knocking thing is still in need of some work."

Dan bit his tongue and walked over to drop down at the table, smiling at his daughter before looking to his ex. "Everything good here?"

She shrugged and took a sip of her coffee, "Yeah, everything's good. Did you expect it not to be?"

Dan mirrored her shrug and turned to Lucifer who was blatantly staring at him with a smirk, his legs crossed and looking entirely too comfortable and smug to be in his ex-wife's house. "How was the couch last night, that things rough to sleep on."

The smirk widened and Dan felt his stomach drop. "I wouldn't know, Chloe was gracious enough to allow me to share her bed. I slept quite soundly."

Chloe dropped her head into her hands before peeking at Dan from between her fingers. "We didn't, he just-" she broke off and looked at her daughter. "Go brush your teeth, we need to get going." Once her daughter left she grabbed the plates and rose to place them in the sink. "He was too big to fit on the couch."

"I am quite large," Lucifer interjected innocently.

Dan's eyes narrowed to slits, his blood boiling at the man just kept pushing him. He eyed the butter knife on the counter and wondered how mad Chloe would be if he stabbed it into Lucifer's neck. Probably pretty pissed.

"You know what is uncomfortable? The kitchen counter. Chloe had me on it earlier and it's much too abrasive for my taste."

She'd get over it.

Chloe threw her hands up just as Dan was about to lunge for the utensil, "God you two, just whip 'em out and measure them and get it over with." Dan scoffed and crossed his arms, but his eyes shifted to Lucifer who sat up straighter, his eyebrows raised.

"No, Lucifer. Don't you dare," Chloe barked, accentuating her point by pointing at him with frying pan.

He leaned back to his original position and muttered, "You know I'd win."

Dan couldn't stand it; he leaned forward and dropped his voice waiting for Lucifer to do the same. "Just give it to me straight, did you and my wife-

"Ex."

"Did you guys- you know."

Dan watched as Lucifer's eyes slid to his ex-wife's and flicked back to his, his shit-eating grin growing exponentially. "Fornicate? In numerous places all over this house?"

"Stop lying Lucifer," Chloe interrupted. "And Dan- really? I mean, really?"

Lucifer's black eyes met hers, "I didn't lie, I was unclear on what he was asking and just wanted to clarify."

Chloe realized he was right and in that moment knew why he didn't ever lie, he didn't have to. The truth was more painful than lies for many people but Lucifer always seemed to skirt around issues, somehow answering questions while not really giving any information. He was so smooth and good at deception and redirection it was almost frightening.

"Don't you need to get back to your apartment and fix all the damage your family drama caused?" Dan bit out.

Lucifer nodded and after taking the last sip of tea set down his cup and stood. "Yes, I probably should get going, much to do at the flat." He took the ceramic object to the counter and set it by the sink and turned to Chloe. "Thank you ever so much for your hospitality, last night and this morning," his eyes slid to Dan's for only a second before snapping back to the object of his affection. Knowing he wouldn't get away with a kiss but having to push it further he grabbed her hand and placed a soft kiss on the back, pride filling him when Dan scoffed and Chloe blushed. "I bid you farewell."

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Lucifer walked into his flat and stood in the middle of the destruction, a heaviness settling down on him that had been gone in Chloe's presence. He had worked so hard to carve himself a little piece of earth and now it lay in ruin, everything that he had done as a mortal smashed to pieces and dripping with alcohol. He almost shed a tear at the sight of the bar; all of that expensive whiskey and aged scotch swirling on the floor in a glass-ridden puddle.

"No rest for the wicked," he said to himself and began to walk around saving what he could and moving it to a safe place. A crunch of glass made him turn, tension in his posture but he relaxed at the sight of his demon.

"Maze."

"You came back."

He walked towards her, hands shoved in his pockets. "Was there a doubt?"

She shrugged in practiced nonchalance but to the man who had known her for millennia the insecurity was obvious. "You seemed pretty upset yesterday, wasn't sure where or what you were going to do."

"Yes that reminds me," he began as he dropped into a chair. "If you ever feel the need to share my familial issues with anyone ever again I will rip out your tongue with my bare hands and feed it to you."

There was no venom in his voice but Maze knew his words were never to be taken lightly, the man wasn't evil but cruel is something he did remarkably well. She crossed her arms and cocked her hip to one side, "You had a freak out and told me not to touch you so I called Chloe for help, you know the girl you've been fawning over for weeks. She obviously found you."

"Yes, she did," he replied quietly. "I spent the night last night, obviously."

"And," Maze pushed, her tongue sliding over her bottom lip. "Did you have amazing sex? Was she what you wanted her to be?"

He smiled softly, his expression far away. "No, no sex. I wanted to but she rebuffed my advances as always but we did sleep together. Just slept. It was nice."

The demon rolled her eyes, "Ugh, kill me now. Next you're going to tell me that you had breakfast in bed and little birds were singing outside."

Lucifer stood and began unbuttoning his shirt, tossing it on his abandoned seat and turning, "I woke rather unpleasantly. Care to have a go at whatever caused this?"

Maze frowned heavily at the bandages and walked closer, her hand resting on his arm and the other picking at the tape surrounding the gauze. She peeled it back and tossed it down, a gasp resonating through the flat. "What the hell? It looks like-"

"Like it did when I told you to cut them off?" he finished. "Exactly."

They had finally stopped bleeding but still were completely open wounds on his back. Maze gently traced her finger around them remembering the day they had landed on the beach after leaving Hell. It had pained her so much to remove those amazing wings, to carve them out of his back, hacking through feather and bone. The blood had splattered onto them; contrasting harshly and making her feel physically ill. Hell was so dark and depressing, so boring and redundant but the one thing that stood out like a beacon were Lucifer's wings. The illuminated objects were like the sun to Maze and every other demon and soul, something that could never be touched but still warmed inside and out. Yes removing them had been hard, hearing he burned them had been like a knife to the gut.

"Why did you have to burn them?" she whispered, eyes widening when she realized she had vocalized the question.

Lucifer's shoulders tightened, his back taught with tension but he didn't turn. "Never question me Mazikeen, everything I do has a purpose whether near or long sighted," he all but growled.

She wanted to push it further, wanted to know why he had felt the need to burn them but she supposed she would never know. Maze walked around to face him and forced herself to move on from the subject, "You think it's the one who hexed you?"

He nodded, "Only thing that comes to mind other than Amenadiel, but subtlety was never his strong point. If he wanted another go at me he'd just do it, he never quite saw the point in masterfully pulling the strings from behind the curtain." The devil reached for his shirt and began to put it back on; "It felt like you had just removed them, itching and burning and just about driving me mad."

"This has gone on too long," Maze seethed. "You're allowing these weak pathetic humans to walk all over you. What happened to the Devil I know? The one who wouldn't take shit from anyone, who would strike down anyone that dared to cross him? Chloe Decker has castrated you-"

Lucifer moved so quickly she didn't even know what was happening until his hand was wrapped tightly around her neck holding her several feet off the ground against the wall. He didn't scream at her, didn't shout. He only stared with eyes blazing red, his appearance flickering as his grip on her throat tightened.

She choked, clawing at his arm and hand.

Lucifer's eyes went back to black but he didn't let her down, instead shaking his head in disbelief. "You do this on purpose don't you? To see me lose control."

She licked her lips; "I love it when you lose control."

Lucifer lowered her until her feet hit the ground and let go of her completely, "Chloe makes me happy Maze, makes me feel things I haven't felt since I fell. I'll always be the Devil but for right now, a drop in the hat of time for you and I, I want to just be human."

Maze eyed him critically and bowed her head, "I'm sorry, I just- you warned me about your brother, well I'm warning you about your pet human. This will not end well Lucifer and deep down, you know that. She's mortal, one day she will die and I don't know if you can survive it."

She walked over to the patio are and stared out over the landscape, letting the wind blow softly against her skin and waited for Lucifer to join her.

"You're the Devil, you punish people and you're cruel. You drive people mad and have the record for the greatest rebellion in all of time and space. I've watched you tear people apart with just your words and destroy souls in seconds. You are the epitome of heartless, yet you love deeper than anyone I've ever known."

Lucifer scoffed a little but didn't say anything else. He leaned down slightly and rested his arms on the edge of the patio and looked up at the heavens.

"Very few people ever get to see your heart but those that do know it beats harder than anyone, in Heaven or Hell. Your father created you out of love and even though you hide it, you are made to love. Chloe Decker will die one day, maybe tomorrow maybe when she's ninety but she will. It's a given. It will break you, it will destroy you and call me selfish but I don't want you to go," she finished quietly, her arm threading though his and her head leaning on his shoulder.

Lucifer leaned into her touch and placed a soft kiss in her hair before he spoke, his rich timber floating through the air.

"When dad created me, his first son, he named me Lucifer, for I was to be the bringer of light. He loved me so, I could feel it from the tips of my wings to my toes. He soon created my brothers and I loved every one of them dearly, caring for them when dad got busy with creation. We were a family and even though I didn't get to see dad as much anymore I knew everything he did, he did out of love. Then came the other angels and finally the humans."

He paused and stared down at the city below him. "He wanted us to bow down to those infernal things and I refused. Didn't he see how much it was killing me to say it? I had to though, he was so busy and caught up all the time in his new children that he ignored his first son. All I wanted is to feel that love again, the love that he had given me and only me. I don't know what I expected, maybe a long talk, a hug, something but instead he told me to bow or leave. My heart shattered into a thousand pieces that day, raining down onto the earth creating hate and sin. I was forced into a cold existence, filled with nothingness. No one knows this but I tried to kill myself, throw myself into a pit of fire and brimstone but apparently angels can't off themselves. When I realized I was stuck I tried to make the best of it, hence the creation of you."

He cleared his throat and sniffed, a sad laugh bubbling out. "My wings gave me false hope. I wore them for eternity, waiting for the day my father would call me back and say it was all a mistake but after a few millennia I gave up hope. I burnt the wings Maze, because I knew I would never be allowed to return home. I burnt them because I couldn't stand the ache of knowing they existed, the biggest and brightest pair of wings ever created, and that they would never get to spread amongst the heavens."

Maze held onto him tighter, feeling small and vulnerable. Lucifer was her everything and to see him so weak, so broken was frightening. Her hero, her god was falling from grace and she felt as lost as he did.

"I don't love Chloe Decker, I'm not even sure I know how to love anymore but if she blesses me with the chance I will take it and if it destroys me, so be it. You are selfish Maze, but so am I and unlike my father I don't think it's a bad thing."

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"No Lucifer," Chloe barked, her patience wearing thin. She had called him because they finally had a new case, and for the fact that she missed him. They had barely seen each other in the last week with Lucifer focusing on his flat and Lux and whatever else. He was sending so many mixed signals that she was wondering if she had just imagined things changing between them.

The tall, dark, and handsome man sighed heavily and even though his shoulders sagged a fraction his ever-present grin never left his face. "But you have thought about it."

It wasn't a question so much as a stated fact and Chloe knew that if she offered any sort of answer it would only egg him on. She chose to ignore him for the time being and continued walking towards the crime scene, ducking under the yellow tape that Officer Donahue was politely holding up.

Approaching the body in the alley she crouched down and began to examine the dead woman whose blood surrounded her on the dirty pavement. She closed her eyes and tried to count to ten when expensive Italian leather shoes appeared in her periphery vision.

"Do you see all these women here? The men? Hell, even the dead girl. They would all pounce at the chance to bed me in a heartbeat."

"I am not discussing sleeping with you at a crime scene over a dead woman," Chloe gritted out trying to not notice the uniforms beginning to turn to look at the pair.

Lucifer smirked at a female officer eyeing him up and down from a few feet away and offered a little wave of his fingers. He stepped back and was just about to light a cigarette when Chloe stood and began to walk away. "If you're riding with me we're leaving."

"Touchy today are we?"

As soon as the car door clicked shut and the car left the curb Lucifer whipped around to face her, "You're quite testy today Detective, anything you'd like to share? Get off your chest? Your blouse perhaps?"

"Shut up Lucifer! For God's sake just shut up, ok?" Chloe finally snapped, effectively surprising them both. "I have enough to think about without you trying to have sex with me every minute of every day!"

Lucifer eyed her critically for a moment, taking in her heaving chest and pink cheeks, the way her fingers were wrapped around the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles were turning white. "It's not every minute, I mean I don't normally see you at whilst sleeping. That could change though…"

Chloe shook her head in disbelief and turned to stare at him as they approached a red light. She wanted to reach over and strangle him, punch him in his irritating yet delicious looking mouth but instead she simply stared. It was like talking to a child, he had a one-track mind and was seemingly unable to end his train of thought. He was staring at her with a mix of confusion, curiosity, and lust and she began to laugh.

"What pray tell is so bloody amusing?"

She turned her eyes back to the road and didn't try to fight the smile on her face. "Just you." They approached the precinct and she pulled the car into a spot before turning to face her passenger. "You know, you keep telling me that as 'the devil' it's your job to punish sinners but isn't lust a sin? What would the punishment be for you?"

Lucifer's eyebrows rose, "First off I am the Devil, I don't know why it's so blasted hard for you to understand. Secondly, rules don't apply to me love in case you haven't noticed. As for punishment it's really not that bad in comparison to other sins, a bit of wind to blow them about. But for someone that needs lust it's torture, there's no one to hold, to kiss, to love you. You're all alone, completely and utterly alone." His answer had started with a humorous lilt but ended on a quieter more subdued note.

She took in his far away look and tried to grab his hand but he moved it at the last second, on purpose or not she wasn't sure.


	9. Obsession

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Obsession by Animotion

Lucifer stared at the ceiling from his lavish bed in his finally repaired flat, his back against the headboard and the silk sheets pooled around his hips and covering his legs. He reached his hand up and took a long deep drag off his cigarette and blew it out through his nostrils in a steady stream and threaded his fingers through one of his bed-mate's hair. Emptiness had been spreading through him lately, a tiny tendril that had started deep in his heart and unmercifully spread until every vein was filled. Everything in him wanted to run to Chloe, to accept comfort and hold her, kiss her and take pleasure in her, to lov-. His eyes narrowed, hating that Maze's words had affected him so deeply. He had never listened to anyone yet here he was allowing his creation's words to directly affect his life.

A small sigh made him look down at the pair still in his bed, both curled up next to him enjoying a post coital nap. It had never bothered him before but right now all he wanted was these two to leave, to just be gone from his bed and his home. The comfort and skin-to-skin contact they were providing felt cheap and wrong, a cold imitation of what it should be. They were beautiful and had been wonderful just like the ones before that and the ones before that but they weren't what he wanted, what he needed, they weren't-

Chloe.

The woman he hadn't seen in eleven days. The woman who still consumed him night and day even though he hadn't seen her. The woman that he was avoiding at all costs even though everything in him disagreed with the choice. The woman what made him feel weak and vulnerable and a whole host of other things both good and bad. She was becoming an obsession, an all-consuming force that rendered him speechless and useless. He needed her like a drowning man needed air, needed her in every sense of the word.

"Damn it all," he muttered and removed himself from the bed quietly searching for his boxer briefs and slipping them on. He walked straight to his bar, grabbing his robe and slipping it over his shoulders on the way out and poured himself a healthy glass of scotch. When the liquid began to slow, the drops hanging in the air, he closed his eyes and blew out a slow breath through his nose before snuffing out his cigarette and turning. "Why must you torment me brother?"

"I didn't come here to fight."

Lucifer let out a loud fake laugh, the sound making the angel grimace. "Not like last time then? Not here to destroy my home, try to send me back to where I belong? Not here to hurl insults like the overgrown muscle head you are?"

Amenadiel knew it wouldn't be easy but why did his older brother have to be such a drama queen? "I came here to apologize."

Lucifer held out his arms and looked at him expectantly, "Well, get on with it then."

"I'm sorry, for what was said. I was out of line."

Silence descended on them both until Lucifer's eyebrows rose, "That's it? That's your big apology? You didn't even rehearse it did you? What were you doing before this, having lunch and just decided to stop by? At least tell me you have note cards."

"Luci," Amenadiel started again. "You were never a mistake."

Lucifer stared at him for a moment and finished his drink; "You know I detest your nickname for me. When Mike started to use it I about caused an apocalypse." After another beat of silence he waved his glass in the air and leaned back against the bar looking put out at the thought of the entire conversation. "Fine. If you're expecting more you're not going to get it, I don't forgive and I don't forget."

"This I know," the dark skinned angel chuckled. "No one can quite hold a grudge like you."

"Damn straight," Lucifer agreed and poured himself another drink.

The black winged angel watched with a critical eyes and walked forward to the bar, sitting down on one of the bar stools and crossing his arms on the counter. "Everything ok? Your aura is off."

"You know I always felt like that was such a parlor trick, I hear there's even humans that can do it and people pay money for it. Seems like a waste of a gift to me," he replied nonchalantly and poured a glass for his brother.

The younger angel's lips quirked, "Good try Luci, what's wrong now?"

The Devil bristled, "And what, pray tell, is that supposed to mean? There's not always something wrong if that's what you're insinuating. I wasn't the problem child, well I was but Gabe was always the one crying wolf."

"Would you like some cheese with that whine?"

Lucifer poured him a glass of liquor and rolled his eyes, "Please never try to make a joke again, you're going to make my ears bleed and I've bled enough these last few months."

Amenadiel took a sip and met the tall angel's eyes, "Stop avoiding, maybe I can help. I am your brother after all."

Lucifer looked away but stayed silent. To answer meant confirming a weakness, a crack in his exterior that anyone could use to his or her advantage. Would his brother stoop that low? It wasn't worth the risk and he felt his gut clench at the fact that he was losing confidants left and right, never mind that they weren't leaving but he was pushing them away. No, that was beside the point.

As if reading his thoughts Amenadiel asked, "How's playing cop going? Still running around with that detective of yours?"

Lucifer wanted to reach over and strangle his brother, wring the life from that unbelievably thick neck but instead just stared at the counter. Was he really that easy to read, if so he needed to work on that because the Devil should have a good poker face. "Not many cases lately, I'm taking some time off from it," he tried.

Amenadiel was many things, and stupid was not one of them. He knew what the problem was he just didn't know how to address it without upsetting the other former angel. Lucifer was like a ticking time bomb, always walking the line and a single push could cause catastrophe for everyone involved. For someone so ruthless he was extremely sensitive. "That's too bad," he offered. "I knew you enjoyed it for a while, seeing humans deal with their emotions; anger, disgust, fear." When Lucifer looked up he knew he had found what he was looking for. "That's the one thing I always admired about you brother, that you were never afraid. Nothing rattled you; you were the creator of fear, never the victim of it. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen you afraid of anything."

"Fear is for the weak."

The other man shook his head. "I disagree, fear is what drives us sometimes. Being afraid means that you've invested yourself in something, the question is do you run away from it or run at it head on."

Lucifer chewed his lip before turning and walking away, turning at the last second and pointing outside. "I have to go, you- you get your feathered arse out of here."

Amenadiel smirked and vanished, his job was done. Hell, maybe he'd even ask father for some rain, make it a moment.

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Chloe jumped when her phone rang and stared at the called id, not sure if she wanted to answer or not. Things had been so muddled lately between them and then with everything else it almost seemed like more trouble than it was worth.

Almost.

"Wow, you're still alive. I hadn't heard from you in so long I figured you had died," she bit out after placing the phone to her ear.

"First off, ouch. You know, I do have other things to do than run around with you? Also if I died I'm pretty sure you would be the first to know."

She leaned back in her chair and looked around the bullpen, a steady scowl on her face. "Well it's been fun but I'll let you get back to whatever it is you do that keeps you so busy, or who keeps you so busy."

"Wait! I just- well- any good cases lately?"

It was safe ground and she knew it. Coward. "Some pretty good ones, which you'd know if you ever answered your phone."

"Yes well I'm available now."

She quickly debated the pros and cons before answering, seeing him meant they would most likely talk but on the other hand she could yell at him and she could really use that today. "I have to go interview a witness, meet me at the precinct."

"On my way."

Chloe hung up the phone and ran a hand through her hair, wondering what she was doing. It had hurt that Lucifer had seemed to lose all interest in her lately, hadn't called or checked in, hadn't tried to kiss her again. Ever since he had spent the night things had just been weird, and they hadn't even had sex.

"I know that face," Dan smiled, dropping down onto the corner of her desk. "What has you so twisted up this morning?"

She shrugged but didn't offer an answer; the last person she wanted to discuss Lucifer with was him.

Dan looked nervous, like he wanted to say something but wasn't sure how. "Chloe, I uh- I've been thinking a lot about us lately. I miss us."

Well that was unexpected. "We're divorced Dan, you cheated on me."

He pursed his lips and nodded, shame coloring his cheeks. "I know and I've apologized a million times for that. I was weak and confused and I know there's no excuse for what I did, I just- can you just think about it? Trixie would love it and I mean we had some good times together."

Despite her reservations she smiled and laughed, their years together playing in her head. "Yes we did."

"Please Chloe?"

She sighed and stared at his face, really stared. He had hurt her so badly, destroyed their family. That was a while ago though and it wasn't like she had men knocking down her door to date. Lucifer had all but disappeared from her life and he had been the only one that she had even considered a relationship with. She wasn't one to repeat history but hell, why not? "I'll think about it."

He nodded happily and got up; walking towards the elevator and when it opened to reveal the man he hated most in the world he didn't even flinch.

Lucifer grinned when the doors opened, "Detective Douche. Oh look, you're almost tall enough to be taken seriously." His grin dimmed slightly when the other man just smiled, a smug smirk that instantly made something in him tighten. Figuring he was just imagining the whole thing he turned and walked to the desk of his favorite person. "Detective."

She looked up and greeted him politely before grabbing her keys and walking away, not waiting to see if he was behind her or not. Saying the car ride was tense would have been a gross understatement. Neither said a word for the first four miles and when Lucifer tried to speak Chloe only replied in one-syllable answers.

The Devil had known this would be difficult and that she would be angry but this was a bit much he thought. It had only been eleven days that they hadn't spoke, that he had ignored her calls and texts even when they turned to concern. Compliments, compliments are good. "You look ravishing today as always."

"Thanks."

Well that didn't work. Logically he knew she had the right to be angry but emotionally, something he was extremely stunted in, he felt like she was over reacting. He didn't owe her anything; he was his own man and was allowed to do whatever he wanted regardless of whom it bothered. So what that he had been ignoring her, he didn't owe her anything. He didn't owe anyone anything. Decision made to stop trying for the time being he quieted too and waited to arrive at their destination.

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"Well that was pointless," Lucifer begrudged.

Chloe rolled her eyes, "Thank you captain obvious."

A small roll of thunder made the detective look up. "Look it's going to rain soon. Let's get back to the station so we can both get home."

"Right," he agreed. He began to follow her to the car but something made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and he paused and looked around. Everything seemed normal, people walking by and cars honking but the prickling sensation was growing stronger. Someone was watching him.

"I'll uh- catch up," he called to Chloe and kept looking around, finally spotting a single person staring hard at him. It was a girl, almost child like in appearance but with eyes that showed wisdom beyond her years. Her sky blue eyes were laser focused on him and when she turned to walk away Lucifer quickly followed.

"Where are you-," Detective Decker tried but broke off when her partner began to quickly walk away and when he started to run she shouted, "Lucifer!"

The Devil followed at a safe distance, carefully skirting around people and maintaining a visual on the woman. She never looked back once but her pace was speeding up with every step and Lucifer instantly knew that this was the woman that had cursed him and most likely caused the episode with his scars. He had to catch her, had to know why she wanted his attention or to hurt him. She ducked out of sight down an alleyway and Lucifer sprinted after her, halting when he turned and she was gone.

He was panting slightly from the three block chase and looking around, spinning to try to figure out where she could have gone down the seemingly dead end street.

"Lucifer! What in the hell are you doing?" Chloe barked when she finally caught up to him. "It's going to rain, we need to get back to the car." A crack of thunder accentuated her point.

"She was here, the woman who cursed me," he tried to explain, still looking around.

"There's no such thing as curses Lucifer, just like there's no such thing as the Devil, or decent men," she shouted angrily.

Lucifer ignored the small droplets of water that fell upon his cheeks and in his hair and fully faced her. "Just because you choose not to believe it doesn't make it any less true. There are things bigger than just you detective."

She scoffed and threw up her arms, "I'm done. I'm done with all your crazy 'I'm the devil' stuff and your fake advances and the lies. I'm done. We are done."

His hands curled into fists as it began to rain harder, his teeth gritting. "I have never lied to you! How dare you accuse me of such?"

"How can you say that?" A flash of lightening flashed through the sky, illuminating their furious faces. "You lied about being with me. You played the part well but apparently I just wasn't worth it. All you want is a bunch of whores, so sorry I'm not one of them. Not that it would matter because Dan and I are going to get back together," she sneered. She knew why she had said it, to hurt him, but the words felt wrong and sour on her tongue. It was a lie, she'd never go back to Dan, the trust was gone but she wanted Lucifer to feel rejection just like she had. He always seemed so bulletproof from things, almost invincible so to see him in emotional pain gave her the sick satisfaction she was looking for.

"Good!" he screamed over the white noise of the storm, his jacket stuck uncomfortably to his shirt and skin and water quickly filling his shoes. "I never thought you a fool but apparently I was wrong. I want nothing to do with you! You make me so bloody angry!"

Chloe's jaw dropped and she walked towards him, "Well I'm so sorry I piss you off so badly, that I'm such a burden to your ridiculous little life. In case you forgot, you're the one that wanted to work with me. You're the one that insisted on playing cop."

He matched her step for step until they were only a foot away from each other, both simmering. "Yes I wanted to work with you, you were interesting! Little did I know that you would drive me crazy!"

"A short trip," she laughed bitterly.

He grabbed his hair in both hands and pulled it, a frustrated scream filling the alley. Lucifer was losing it, the careful grip he held on himself releasing, the rubber band that was the Devil snapping. "It's all your fault, all of it! You infuriate me! Why did you have to catch my eye? Why did it have to be you with your quick wit and your beautiful face and your ability to resist me? It's like some sick cosmic joke, you were sent here to destroy me! You make me weak, and vulnerable, and feel things I don't want to feel. You make me care. Why out of the billions of people on this giant fucking floating rock did I have to care so deeply for you?"

"I hate you!" Chloe screamed, tears beginning to fall down her face mingling with the rain.

"And I bloody hate you too!" he shouted back before closing the distance between them and smashing his lips to hers. The kiss was filled with rage, with pain and suffering and darkness. The kisses were bruising, involving too much teeth and nips that were a hair too hard to be considered loving.

When Chloe's hands rose and her grip tightened on the back of his neck she slid her tongue into his mouth and let out a surprised noise when he lifted her effortlessly.

Lucifer gasped when Chloe wrapped her legs around him and bucked her hips and moved away from her mouth to pepper kisses across her check and across her jaw line. When small fingers grabbed a fistful of his hair and jerked his head up he stared at the object of his affections with his black eyes, pupils blown with lust. He was so turned on, so painfully hard that he couldn't even articulate what he wanted to. Thankfully he didn't have to.

"I'm sorry," Chloe panted and keened softly when he pressed his obvious arousal against her.

"You should be," he managed to get out and laughed when she slapped him. "Please tell me this is going where I ever so desperately want it to be going."

She grinned and played coy, "And where would that be?"

He huffed in exasperation and shook his head before licking up her neck and kissing her again, shivering when she moaned.

High above the pair two sets of brown eyes watched them, one angry and one amused. Amenadiel grinned and elbowed Maze who was grinding her teeth. "What, doesn't Luci deserve a little happiness?"

"I guess," she bit out. "I don't like that he feels for her."

The angel wrapped an arm around the small demon's shoulders and looked down at her, "Feelings are good, they make it interesting. Are you saying you feel nothing for me?"

"Nothing," she growled but both knew she was lying. She had listened to Lucifer's warning but after their talk the other day it seemed both he and she were exploring new viewpoints.

The rain increased until it was a downpour and the angel spread his large black wings to cover Maze and to cover the pair in the alley. The human didn't seem to notice the sudden lack of rain but Lucifer did and twisted his hand behind his back and raised his middle finger making Amenadiel chuckle.

Lucifer would always be the black sheep of the family, the rebel, the one that cursed and threw fits and never took anything seriously but he was still and always would be his brother, and he wouldn't change him for anything.


	10. Gods & Monsters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Gods & Monsters by Lana Del Rey

Rain splattered against the floor to ceiling glass windows, every drop hitting just hard enough to make a soft ping before quickly falling. The storm had mostly passed, just an occasional muffled rumble of thunder or a far away streak of lightening. It had been a hell of a storm, intense and loud, bright and powerful, finally lulling to a soothing end that left everything feeling fresh and reborn. Yes the storm had been something no one would ever forget, and the same could be said for the couple currently lying beneath soft plum colored sheets.

Chloe stared unseeingly at the windows, her expression relaxed and her body feeling pleasantly sated. Long nimble fingers were softly running up and down her spine leaving goose bumps in their wake and she allowed her eyes to fall shut and released a pleasant hum, curling up to the man besides her.

The last few hours had been, had been- well words can't describe. Clothes were strewn everywhere, hanging off the bar and steps, the dresser and on the floor all sopping wet and dripping. Her phone was somewhere unknown as was his belt and shoes and the comforter and two of the five pillows normally adorning the bed were on the floor. She could only imagine what she looked like. Yes this afternoon had been amazing and a blush appeared on her cheeks thinking about everything they had done, things she had never even considered attempting. Sex with Lucifer was nothing like she had imagined, and she had imagined it quite vividly on more on than one occasion. Chloe knew he had quite the reputation as a lady pleaser and he didn't disappoint in the slightest. He was equal parts smooth and rough, his touches as soft as silk in one moment and his grip bruising her in the next. He had such a way of putting you at ease, of pushing you just enough to make it exciting but not uncomfortable and every second was about her, never about him. For a man so seemingly selfish and vain he was a very giving bedmate. Lucifer had made sure she was completely taken care of, multiple times, before staring into her eyes with lust blown pupils and a pleading expression, begging for permission and when he had finally buried his head into her neck and gasped she had never felt closer to anyone in her entire life.

A sudden thought entered her sex-addled mind, something she had forgotten once Lucifer had kissed her. "I don't hate you."

His hand paused on her back, right between her shoulder blades, but soon continued as if it had never stopped. When he didn't reply or make any move to answer she pinched his side and giggled when he lightly tugged her hair.

Lucifer turned his head and smiled into the hair of his companion, placing a soft kiss into her hair and breathing in her scent. Today had been, well, interesting. After the talk with his brother he had decided to pursue Chloe, consequences and reservations be damned but it had all gone to shit once he saw her. Then an odd sighting, a thunderstorm, and the argument to end all arguments happened and somehow that all added up to now. Well, he wasn't one to question a good thing.

"Lucifer?"

"Hmm?"

"Tell me nothing will change between us," she pleaded in barely a whisper.

Not to her surprise he laughed, after all he never did take anything seriously. When she rolled over to face him properly and looked at him with such a vulnerable expression he sobered slightly. "Nothing will change," he began and waited a beat before finishing. "Except for the sex bit."

Her lips quirked before falling again, "This is probably going to scare the hell out of you-"

"Doubtful."

"-but are we dating now? I just have to ask. With Trixie, and us working together- I just want to make sure we're on the same page." Lucifer just looked at her with a puzzled expression and stayed silent.

She began to blush, "Sooo is that a no? Yes?"

"I have no idea, what does dating entail?"

At first Chloe thought he was joking but his face held no humor, only honest confusion. "Wait, you've never dated? Like ever?" She scoffed, "Aren't you like thirty something?"

He pursed his lips, "I have no idea my age or what that has to do with anything we're currently discussing and no, never have I dated before. What's so bloody amusing? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I just- wow," she whispered in awe. "Well dating is, well, kind of what we do know actually," she realized out loud. "Hang out, laugh, sex, but not sex with other people."

This got his attention and he looked at her in shock. "That's ludicrous, why would anyone choose to date? Humans were never meant to be monogamous, it was never part of their design." At her quickly falling expression he backpedaled, knowing he would do anything to keep a smile on that beautiful face. "For you though, anything. I shall give dating a try."

She brightly smiled and blessed him with a slow satisfying kiss before out of the blue stating, "Dan cheated on me, that's why we got divorced."

"You had mentioned," he muttered darkly. "A vow is a contract and if there's one thing you should honor it's a contract. He's an imbecile and if you permitted I would punish him gleefully."

"You're so weird," she laughed. "Seriously though, please don't ever cheat on me. If there's any chance just tell me now and we'll keep it casual because if you do, I will castrate you with a rusty spoon."

Lucifer shook his head, "No need for threats love, if there's one thing the Devil doesn't do it's casual whether clothing or women. I give you my word and my word is my bond."

A muffled ringing sounded from somewhere in the room making Chloe groan and slowly rise to try to find it. She tried to take the sheet with her to preserve what little modesty she had left but Lucifer refused to allow it and grinned mischievously when she finally gave up and began looking around nude. "Dammit it, where is it?"

Lucifer sat up on the bed and simply watched, not offering to help but did point to a few spots it might be. When it stopped ringing and she glared at him he simply held out his arms in an innocent gesture.

"Shhhh," she demanded when it started again and walked out to the living room and finally spotted it near her pants hanging off a barstool. She quickly answered and grimaced at her appearance when she noticed her reflection in the bar, her hand quickly running through her hair to smooth it and wiping under her eyes to fix her mascara. "Decker."

_"Chloe where are you?"_

Her eyes widened, "Dan! I uh- the interview was a dead end. Why, what's up?" She heard movement behind her and turned to see Lucifer jumping from the bed and pulling on his underwear, expression gleeful. She quickly covered the mouthpiece and pointed at him. "No! No! Go away!" she whispered furiously.

_"You were supposed to pick up Trix from the sitters a half hour ago and never showed. Where are you? Is Lucifer still with you?"_

"Um- Lucifer? Yes! He is still with- uh me and I am dropping him off and going to get Trix, our uh- daughter, right now," she stuttered and rolled her eyes at herself. _Smooth Decker _. Lucifer made a grab for the phone but she spun at the last second and hit him in the chest harder than intended.__

"That hurt!" he cried before grinning. "Do it again."

"So yeah, I'll go get Trix. Bye Dan." She quickly hung up and shook her head at the man looking so utterly disappointed. "Would you stop? You're going to start all kinds of trouble."

"I love trouble."

She couldn't help but smile fondly, "Yes I know, and I also know that I have to go."

His expression flickered to disappointment and back so quickly that she almost missed it. "Yes, well I suppose I shall see you later then."

Feeling suddenly uncomfortable at the fact she was naked and just standing in the flat she retreated to the bedroom and began to redress, her voice floating out to Lucifer who was pouring himself a drink behind the bar. "I have to go get Trix and check in at the station to see if they got anything new, not very exciting stuff. If you want to go with me though, you're welcome too." She walked out of the bedroom redressed but still looking quite tousled and stepped up to him as he finished his drink. It occurred to her how much he drank and a small spark of doubt curled in her gut. Was he an alcoholic? She supposed he did seem to drink at every meal and whenever he got the chance but he never appeared intoxicated but that was really besides the point. The man had an entire bar in his home, not just a few bottles either but an entire bar not to mention that he owned one downstairs.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Lucifer wondered, insecurity seeping into his voice.

Chloe startled slightly, realizing she must have been staring longer than thought and met his eyes, "Just thinking about things. So did you want to go with me?"

"And play taxi for the hell spawn, no thank you," he answered but did look quite pleased with the invitation. "Perhaps I'll stop by later this evening."

"And what if I said that won't work for me?" she scoffed as she laced up her Converse.

He grinned, "I didn't ask for permission. Now off with you, go collect your confection obsessed offspring."

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A short time later Lucifer was seated comfortably downstairs in Lux, softly playing the piano a bit before the club would open and promptly fill with humans. His fingers glided seamlessly across the ivory colored keys and he hummed quietly to himself. The piano was his escape, from anywhere and everything. Deep in the bowels of hell he had built a piano, meticulously by hand, and taught himself to play as a way to separate himself from the hate and evil that surrounded him. The Devil had taken to it quickly and soon learned that music did in fact soothe the savage beast as it not only calmed himself but also the demons surrounding him.

"You're looking quite pleased," Maze purred from by his ear before dropping down onto the bench next to him.

Lucifer nodded and smiled brightly at her, "I am. It seems Detective Decker and I are _dating _."__

Maze wanted to laugh at how absurd it sounded but she just couldn't do it when he looked so positively giddy. She had seen her creator at his lowest and his seemingly highest but this, this was something new. There was an innocence about him, an almost child like wonderment shining in his eyes and she wouldn't, couldn't be the one to take it away. Instead of a snarky comment she leaned against the piano and grinned. "Who'd of thought?"

The duo sat side by side laughing loudly and sharing stories of how ridiculous humans are as Lucifer continued to play, his hands working perfectly until a loud noise startled them and made the Devil's hand slip and hit an off note key. Both watched the back entrance hallway carefully for whoever entered to show themselves, Maze facing the threat head on and readying herself to protect the fallen angel. When Dan walked around the corner they both relaxed, no threat there.

"Lucifer Morningstar!" Dan shouted looking flustered and irate, his hands balled into fists and his gait aggressive.

Maze snorted at his seemingly macho display, if only the man knew who he was dealing with, and gracefully spun on the bench before walking away silently and disappearing into the shadows to watch the angry little man try to take on the Devil himself.

"Detective Douche!" Lucifer mocked in the same loud voice before beginning to play the piano again. "See I can shout too, doesn't mean you should though. You seem to have an issue with manners."

Not willing to put up with any of the other mans antics he ignored the comment. "You slept with Chloe you bastard! Just another notch in your belt huh? She deserves better than a psychotic asshole like you!" he bellowed before finally reaching the club owner.

Lucifer simply looked amused at the little tirade and barely cast him a glance. "Did she share all the juicy details or did you simply jump to this conclusion with your brilliant powers of deduction?"

Dan could hardly see straight he was so angry, his hand twitching over his gun and making Maze slowly pull her knives from their sheath. "One look at her and I could tell. She'd never sleep with you, did you drug her? Force her?"

Lucifer stiffened at the accusations and his smile was much tighter than when Dan first arrived but he responded calmly. "Yes she did look quite ravaged when she left but some things can't be helped. She is a gorgeous creature isn't she? As for your question I refuse to dignify it with a response and I suggest you drop the matter before I lose my temper." The threat was evident but the other man paid no heed.

"You can't threaten a police officer jackass," Dan seethed. "Now you listen to me, that is my ex-wife and the mother of my child. You will leave her alone and move on to your next bitch because you can't have Chloe. She's mine. We are going to get back together and you somehow managed to worm your way in there like the snake you are but it's over. You leave her alone and don't talk to her again. No more consulting, no more anything."

Lucifer softly laughed and shook his head in good humor, "You are quite amusing, I'll give you that." He played a few notes more on the piano and called over his shoulder, "Maze, drink please and they'll be no need for your toys, I can handle the situation."

Maze's eyes narrowed but she did as told, setting her blades down on the counter and grabbing a bottle and glass. She poured a healthy amount and sauntered over, placing the glass in Lucifer's outstretched hand and taking a seat on a couch nearby. If the Devil didn't want her to use her knives fine but she for sure was going to stay as close as she could if something were to happen. This man was just a human but with Lucifer's recent rash of injuries and flickers in and out of immortality it wasn't worth the risk.

Lucifer took a sip from the glass and placed it softly on top of the piano. "Now you listen to me Detective Douche. I have never answered to anyone and I refuse to start now. You are nothing but an insignificant spec on this planet, a tiny useless object that steals air from the lungs of those more deserving than you. You are a liar, and a cheat and broke the heart of the single mortal that I care about. You will never have Chloe back, not because I will not allow it, but because she does not wish to ever have relations with you again. She is not 'yours' because she is not something that can be owned you silly fucking twat."

"What did you just call me?" Dan squawked.

"I'm quite sure you heard me correctly, you're quite simple but I believe your hearing is fine."

Dan screamed in anger and slammed him hand down on the piano keys, a terrible noise filling the space. "I will end you! I will take everything from you! I will destroy you! Go to hell you bastard!"

Lucifer froze, his entire body so still it seemed that even his breathing had halted. The temperature in the club rose exponentially sweat instantly trickling down Dan's spine, the lights seemed to dim as the shadows became blacker, long fingers of darkness reaching out across the floor. The air in the room became heavy and humid making it difficult to breath and a strange static crackled in the air. The hair on the back of Dan's neck stood up, everything in him telling him to run, to get away from the obviously dangerous man. A dark chuckle fell from the lips of the man sitting at the piano, a terrifying noise that sounded old and primal and the detective couldn't help but step back.

And then Lucifer's eyes turned red.

And it all went to shit.


	11. What Makes a Good Man?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: What Makes a Good Man? by The Heavy

Dan stumbled back at the eerie sight of the other mans eyes glowing red, his feet tripping over each other as he tried to comprehend what was happening. His mind tried to supply a normal reason that his eyes were ruby colored, contacts or something, but he knew that wasn't the case. Something was lighting his eyes from _within _.__

"Finally speechless for once Daniel?" Lucifer smirked, standing from the piano bench and pulling himself up to his full height. "Don't get too excited, this is just the preview."

Dan continued walking backwards, "What- what are you?" His heart was pounding, vision tunneling as he looked for help from anywhere he could get it. This wasn't right, someone was playing tricks on him and he latched onto the only other person in the room. "Maze!"

Maze stood gracefully from the couch and walked up to Lucifer's side her expression sinister as her face seemed to morph into something grotesque when she finished her approach. Half of her normally smooth and beautiful face appeared melted and burnt, bone and tissue visible and eye a milky white, her hair matted and missing in spots. "What's wrong baby, don't you still think I'm pretty?"

Dan began to hyperventilate and pulled his gun and pointed it at Lucifer who threw his head back and laughed condescendingly.

"Stay back!"

"You humans and your silly guns. Go ahead, shoot me!" Lucifer shouted, arms out in a mocking gesture. His face began to flicker to something indescribable, burnt and angry, charred skin and deep caverns for eyes. It was the thing of nightmares, the man didn't even have a nose anymore. Dan pulled the trigger, three shots ringing out and bullets ripping through Lucifer's torso making him stumble back a step at the force. Instead of gushing blood and dropping to the floor however his smirk grew and he giddily proclaimed, "That tickled, do it again!"

Dan tripped and fell hard onto the smooth floor, his entire body beginning to shake, his lips moving in a silent prayer.

"None of that now," the Devil tutted, "Believe me he's not listening." He walked over to Dan and effortlessly picked him up and set him on his feet, the detective's knees wobbling like a newborn filly. "Now, I was going to show you all my party tricks and reduce your brain to a gelatinous state but where's the fun in that? I like to exercise finesse, get creative you see so I thought, what could possibly be worse than destroying you?"

Dan swallowed thickly and tried valiantly to stand his ground against the nightmarish sight in front of him. "Just do it!" he screamed with as much power as he could, unfortunately it came out shaky and much more quiet than intended.

"Patience Daniel," Lucifer insisted before continuing. "Instead of turning you into a useless," he smiled cruelly, "well more useless, shadow of a man I have decided to let you leave here. Let you continue to live your life but with the knowledge that I exist, that the Devil has his eye on you." He waited a beat and tilted his head, his face twisted with hate and spite. "That the Devil has taken your place with Chloe and young Beatrice."

Dan was terrified, angry, and helpless. What could he do or say? His mind was breaking at the fact that the Devil even existed let alone that he was standing right in front of him. "Why? Why Chloe? Why Trixie? Why are you doing this to me?" he cried brokenly.

Maze crossed her arms and laughed, her tongue visible through the side of her open cheek. "You still don't get it do you?"

Lucifer sat back down at the piano and resumed his original position, beginning to play a soft hypnotic melody. "It's not about you. In fact had you just left it alone you could have continued on without a care but instead you pestered me. You became a thorn in my side that for some reason I couldn't remove. Now you will watch as I take everything from you: your ex-wife, your daughter, and finally your sanity." He lifted his hand and snapped his fingers, Dan disappearing instantly and reappearing in his bed in his apartment. "Sweet dreams."

Maze returned to her human face and shook her head, a scowl on her lips. "You're going soft. You should have terrified him, broken every bone in his body, driven him insane but you let him go. He disrespected you."

Lucifer agreed wholeheartedly but things had changed lately, interacting with the humans had given him a different perspective for better or worse. "You're not wrong but something just didn't feel right about it," he tried to explain.

Maze however was able to see straight through his words and ground her teeth together "Chloe cares for him, as does Trixie. You kept him alive to not upset them." Her eyes widened, "You're putting them before yourself."

The Devil didn't meet her eyes, either unable or unwilling to confirm her thoughts. He went for diversion instead. "The bar needs stocked before opening tonight and the books need finished. I have a previous engagement to attend to."

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lucifer walked into Chloe's house and frowned at the fact he heard a tiny voice chirping excitedly from the living room. She was supposed to be asleep already. The pair on the couch turned and both smiled brightly at him, one smile missing a few more teeth than the other. "Lucifer!"

He returned their smiles and continued in to see the girls watching a movie and eating popcorn. The couch was full with Trixie lying down but the child instantly tucked her feet up and allowed him to take a seat, much to his dismay on the opposite side of the couch from his date. "Ladies."

The trio sat quietly watching tv, Lucifer's long arm spreading out along the back of the couch so his hand could softly rub the back of Chloe's neck. It was odd feeling so relaxed around the pair, especially the child, but it felt right. For the first time in eons he felt almost content and he released a small sigh of happiness.

"She's out," Chloe whispered and Lucifer glanced down to confirm it. Sure enough the child was sleeping soundly, mouth agape and looking like she would start drooling soon. "I'm exhausted from this afternoon," she tried to explain while fighting a blush. "Could you carry Trix to her room please?"

Lucifer huffed a laugh before sobering, "Oh you're serious. Can't you wake the spawn and she can use her legs? She's only been asleep for a small while."

"You don't spend a lot of time around kids do you?"

"I try my best not to."

Chloe stood, stretched, and released a large yawn before bending down to try to pick up her daughter. Lucifer watched her struggle for a moment before gritting his teeth and touching... it. He carefully picked up the small human and tried to ignore the thought that it was touching him and carried her easily to her room and even though he wanted ever so badly to just dump her on the bed and run he softly laid her down while Chloe pulled back the covers. Instead of fleeing from the room as planned he stood quietly at the side of the bed and watched the small child squirm a little before settling. As far as his Father's creations she wasn't terrible, in fact if she wasn't a child Lucifer would very much like her company. Trixie was brutally honest and blackmailed people for her own personal gain; she was his kind of human. He knew logically that it was accustom for someone who is in the life of an adult to be in the life of the child as well, humans had even created a term for it –stepfather-, but could he really play the part of a father to this girl? The answer was a plain and simple no plus there was no need as her own father, douchey as he might be, was in the picture so he supposed he could simply be a friend to the hell spawn which he knew suited him much better.

Chloe tucked her daughter in tightly and kissed her forehead aware Lucifer was watching with a thoughtful expression. She shooed him from the room and closed the door with a soft click. "What is it with you and children?" she instantly asked.

"I don't trust them. They're too pure, it's not natural."

"Don't you want kids someday?" Chloe wondered aloud as she clicked off the lamp and tv and made sure the door was locked.

Lucifer shrugged, "Don't have to worry about it either way, angels can't reproduce."

She stilled momentarily before continuing to the stairs and waiting for him to follow. "You're sterile?" The thought bothered her more than she would ever admit. He was a beautiful man and it seemed a shame that a child would never be blessed with dark eyes and long lashes, that the world would never see him carrying a little boy on his shoulders.

"Of course! Can't have little cherubs and demons running around, no telling what the child of the Devil would come out like. I shudder at the thought," he laughed, following her into her bedroom and helping her clear the bed of decorative pillows.

The detective couldn't help but rib him. "Probably with a pitch fork and a glass of scotch."

Lucifer laughed harder and grabbed her around the waist when she tried to pass him on the way to the closet. "I think I'd actually like that child then." He pulled her back to his chest and kissed the shell of her ear grinning when she shuddered. He left a trail of feather light kisses down the side of her neck and held her snugly against him, his hands beginning to wander when she arched into him.

Chloe finally groaned and dropped her head, "As good as that feels I am so tired. I just want to sleep."

He couldn't fault her for that, after all he was the reason. "Would you prefer me to leave then? Or do you wish me to stay?"

She twisted in his grip and looked up at him, noticing for the first time a small spattering of freckles across his nose. He was such a contradiction to himself, hard and aged at times yet innocent and hopeful at others. Could she really do this with him, have a relationship with him? He was a little bit of a psychopath, had an ego that rivaled Kayne West's, and was a known playboy. He was immature at times and threw temper tantrums, was more than a little flakey and extremely vain. Not to mention the alcohol dependency and daddy issues. The man smoked, and despised children, and his best friend was a ninja bartender that had tried to give her daughter alcohol.

But he was also very intelligent and funny, she hadn't ever laughed more with or at someone than Lucifer. He was a man of his word and as far as she knew had never lied to her. Money would never be an issue again and Trixie loved him. Lucifer was attractive and took excellent care of himself and seemed to worship her in a way no man ever had.

The list of pros was just as long as the cons but the real question was, was there a future with Lucifer?

"Stay."

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Lucifer woke to an earnest pair of brown eyes staring at him from only an inch away. Never one to shy away from something that made him uneasy he held his ground and stared back, refusing to back down. The intense challenge lasted several tense seconds, but it was his attacker who broke first. His chest swelled with pride at his victory only to be cut short when the tiny terror giggled.

"You're funny."

The devil pursed his lips, "Yes I've heard. Why are you here?"

Trixie flopped down on the bed next to him and clicked on the tv to cartoons making Lucifer groan and cover his head with a pillow. "Go away spawn, go back to the hell from which you came."

"Are you mommy's boyfriend now?" she asked innocently.

"Which response will get you to leave?" he mumbled from beneath the object still tightly clutched to his head. The room was silent and the bed still so he braved a peek only to sigh heavily when he saw the child was still there. "Yes, I am." Curiously he asked, "Does this bother you?"

"Nope," she instantly replied. "Mommy and I like you. Can I ask you a question?"

Knowing she wasn't going to leave he sat up in the bed and propped himself up on some pillows and tried to rub the sleep from his eyes. "You just did."

"No silly," Trixie said with an eye roll. "Another question. Are you really the devil?"

"Yes," he replied bluntly.

"So then you know the angels. What's Gabriel like?" she asked excitedly.

Lucifer tried to melt her with just his eye balls but alas she remained untouched. "He's- well he's- Alright first off, he doesn't have a horn it's more of a glorified kazoo and he didn't so much appear to Mary as scare the living hell out of her. The woman was traumatized, I actually felt for her. Plus to conceive and not even get to do it the fun way? I don't know what she did to piss of Dad but it must have been pretty bad." Realizing he was getting off track he quieted again and waited almost patiently for the next question which was sure to come.

"What's God like?"

At this Lucifer truly was speechless. He considered not answering but knew the child would pester him, that's what they did. Demanding little things. "Dad is," he began carefully before breaking off. "He wasn't as good of a dad as I thought he should be and I'd rather not speak about it. He wasn't around much and treated me unjustly." He was both horrified and surprised when he found himself trapped in a hug a second later. Knowing most animals would leave you alone if you played dead he stopped breathing and remained motionless, pleased his plan had worked when she sat back on the bed a safe distance away. Not able to help himself he blurted out, "Why do you find my company enjoyable?"

Trixie looked back to the tv and giggled before looking back and smiling easily, "You make me laugh and you make mommy happy."

Instead of responding he shifted slightly and watched the tv, his brows pulling together in confusion as time passed. "Correct me if I'm wrong but is this delusional child hallucinating that her toys are speaking to her and require medical care, care that she has never been properly trained to administer?"

Trixie nodded.

"Right then. Turn it up I can barely hear her ridiculously reassuring the stuffed snow creature he can't melt."

And that was how Chloe found them when she exited the bathroom freshly showered and ready for the day. She climbed onto the bed and snuggled up to her daughter, the trio lounging comfortably until the sound of a door slamming made Lucifer tense and stare unblinkingly at the door. He'd take on Heaven itself to keep these two safe. A moment later his eyes flashed red and Chloe could have sworn she heard a growl from him.

Dan burst into the room and blanched at the sight of the three looking like such a perfect little family. No, there was no way in hell he was going to let the Devil take his family from him. He pulled a cross from his jacket and some holy water and splashed it on the man.

Lucifer didn't even flinch, instead just sat looking extremely perturbed at being assaulted with water while relaxing. "Really Detective?"

Chloe however jumped from the bed and stomped over to her ex-husband. "Dan what is wrong with you?"

"He's the Devil Chloe!" he shouted.

Trixie laughed, "You're so silly daddy. We know that already."

"Dan can we talk in the hallway please?" she ground out. Not waiting for him to reply she shoved him from the room and shut the door. "What are you doing besides scaring the hell out of me and making a fool of yourself?"

Dan grabbed her shoulders tightly, "Chloe listen to me. He is not a man, he's the Devil. The actual Devil from the bible. He showed me his true face and it is horrible, eyes glowing red and charred skin. You have to get you and Trix away from him. He's evil, he could kill you with a snap of his fingers."

"Ok you're starting to scare me now," she whispered and tried to step back.

Dan tightened his grip, pleading with her to understand. "Please Chloe. He's probably in there right now corrupting our daughter." He released the blonde and silently cracked the door and peeked in. Trixie was messing with the Devil's hair, the latter looking very much like a disgruntled cat. "Well, I mean maybe not right now but he will," he harshly whispered and pulled the door shut again.

Chloe had it. "This is getting out of hand. I don't know if you've been working too hard or you're just having a hard time dealing with the fact that I'm moving on but you need to get it figured out. No more bursting into my house and accusing my boyfriend of being the devil, no more trying to get back together, no more anything. Get it together Dan." When he tried to respond she held up a hand, "I need you to leave now and next time we see each other I want you to be sane ok?"

Dan could only nod and walk down the stairs, Chloe blowing out a stressful breath before turning and reentering the room. "Trix stop trying to give Lucifer a mohawk."

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In a small apartment across town a small blue-eyed woman carefully examined the objects she had stolen earlier. These would do nicely she thought to herself. These would send him back to where he belonged, back to Hell. The curse hadn't gone as planned nor had the dream attack but this would work. Yes the demon's blades she had taken off the bar at Lux earlier would end him.

Permanently.


	12. Heroes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Heroes by David Bowie

Lucifer stood at the small landing at the top of the stairs at Lux, his eyes sharply drifting across the crowd as he played with his Pentecostal coin. The bar was busy tonight, almost at capacity and it wasn't even eleven yet but something felt off about it. The humans all seemed to be enjoying themselves, bodies dancing and music pounding and he winked at a small blonde woman when she waved but his heart wasn't in it. The feeling had began late this afternoon and had only gotten worse, a buzzing in his skull that was starting to work its way down his spine setting him on edge and making him irritable. The Devil hadn't told anyone about the feeling but had noticed Maze watching him much more closely than usual this evening and figured she had picked up on his agitation; after all they shared a bond unlike any other.

The buzzing in his head grew stronger and he roughly massaged the heel of his hand over his forehead to try to get the uncomfortable sensation to ebb. He knew this feeling well, something was going to happen but if it was good or bad he had no idea. A hand on his shoulder made him jerk away and gasp, his eyes wide when he turned. "The hell Maze?"

The demon placed her hand over his dress shirt where his heart was. "Your hearts pounding. You've been up here forever, what's wrong?"

"Something is going to happen."

Immediately on high alert she quickly scanned the crowd and the closest humans, her gaze expertly assessing any and all foreseeable threats. "We should close, get you upstairs."

Lucifer immediately shook his head in disagreement, "I've never retreated before and I don't plan on it now. Whatever it is it'll show itself soon enough, they always do. I'm not too worried, and you shouldn't be either."

Maze disagreed, strongly, but it wasn't her decision. She saw a familiar face working its way through the crowd and quickly descended down the stairs and grabbed the person's arm before they were seen. "Decker."

Chloe startled at the firm grip suddenly encasing her bicep and tried to resist jerking away when she saw who had her. "Yeah?"

Maze looked around again before leaning close and speaking directly into her ear, wanting her words to be heard and heeded. "Watch Lucifer, something bad is going to happen." Not waiting for a response she released her and faded into the crowd leaving a clueless Chloe in her wake.

Detective Decker grabbed the twisted banister and trotted up the stairs to Lucifer who was so focused on the crowd that he didn't even see her approaching. He was leaning on the rails; his long thin frame rigid and still as his hands fiddled with the coin he always seemed to have. The bartender's words repeated in her head and even though she wanted to ask about it she knew she wouldn't get a straight answer from either of them, she never did.

Not wanting to startle the already tense man Chloe stopped a safe distance away and called out to him. "Lucifer!"

He whipped around with wild eyes but relaxed a fraction when he saw whom it was calling him. "Detective," he exclaimed happily but didn't move away from the railing and she instantly recognized it as him not wanting to leave himself exposed or vulnerable. Chloe stuck her hands in her back pocket and walked forward, stopping just shy of him and looked up while he looked down.

"Hi," she whispered up at him and hummed happily when he dropped his head to press a soft kiss on her lips. "Everything ok?" she wondered. "You look uneasy."

His expression was something she couldn't quite put her finger on but before she could even try to decipher it he plastered on a wide smile and held out his arm. "Care for a drink?" She didn't even have time to respond before he quickly trotted down the steps and straight to the bar where he snatched two glasses and filled one to the brim. Before she could get seated he had already downed the entire glass and was leaning against the bar and tapping his foot anxiously, his tongue sliding across his bottom lip as his eyes jerked hastily across the room.

"Perhaps you should leave."

Chloe jerked slightly at the unforeseen comment and laughed in disbelief, "What? Why would I leave when I just got here?"

"No reason, it's just rather boring tonight. I could call you tomorrow."

The man was practically vibrating with nervous energy and instead of soothing him she seemed to be making it worse. It wasn't a good look on the normally infallible man and it filled her with self-loathing that she was contributing. Maybe he was right; maybe she should just leave but if something happened-

Without warning the club was suddenly engulfed in darkness, the music cutting off as screams echoed off the walls, people panicking. People were shoving each other, trampling over furniture trying to get to the exit and out onto the street. Lucifer however deftly grabbed Chloe around the waist and moved her behind him and shielded her from the chaos. She wanted to ask what was going on, why he was so calm but a chill fell down her spine when he softly exclaimed, "It's happening."

The lights flickered a few times as the last person ran out before finally staying on but instead of just Chloe, Maze, and Lucifer there was one more person present, a small woman with the brightest blue eyes.

The tiny woman grinned darkly. "Lucifer, good to finally get a face to face."

He quirked his head, "I could say the same. Who are you?"

The woman scoffed and held her hand over her heart in dramatic fashion, "You don't recognize me?"

The Devil's eyes hardened but his expression remained blank, "You obviously don't leave a lasting impression. Don't make me ask again."

"Or what?" she mocked. "You'll show me your angry eyes? The others might cower but to me it was always just a show."

"Others," me mumbled before his eyes widened, then quickly narrowed to slits. "Which one are you?"

Chloe peeked around him but when she tried to move he backed against her, holding her in place between his back and the bar.

"Afriel."

Lucifer snorted, "Angel of youth, that explains the baby face. You know I have no recollection of you at all, every one of you just blend together."

"Angel? What are you talking about?" Chloe barked as she finally shouldered past Lucifer and crossed her arms. Her green eyes landed on the woman and she lifted her chin. "You the one that's been after him? I'm LAPD." She tried to go on but the woman waved her hand and she suddenly couldn't speak, her mouth moved but no words came out.

"Quite child, grownups are talking."

"Don't touch her!" Lucifer thundered and snapped his fingers, Chloe able to speak a second later. She looked terrified and Lucifer felt his heart break at the loss of her innocence, this was going to get so much worse before it got better. He wanted to comfort her but now wasn't the time; he had an errant angel to deal with. Trying to not draw attention to Chloe again he smoothly shifted and blocked much of her from the other angel's view.

"Why are you here? What do you want?" He waited a beat before lifting his hand, "You know I could snap my fingers and you would explode correct? A billion tiny pieces of bone, flesh, and feathers ripping apart in an instant. I already have one angel buzzing about, I'm not in the mood for another."

The small woman laughed but spun when Maze appeared behind her. With a wave of her hand she threw the demon across the room. "Now, now. We're simply having a family meeting, brother and sister. No need for violence."

She whipped back around and shook her head, "We keep getting interrupted." With another wave of her hand Chloe and Maze flew from their spots and against a far wall where they both found they couldn't move.

Maze growled and spit, thrashed and screamed but couldn't break the hold. Chloe however stayed still, her mind trying to comprehend what was happening. "Maze?" she asked shakily. "What's happening?"

The demon stopped trashing and turned her head to face her better, "Your boyfriends the Devil. It's all real, all of it; angels, demons, heaven and hell. Time to take off your rose colored glasses honey, shit just got real."

"Enough!" Lucifer shouted and walked forward, not even hesitating before pulling back his fist and hitting the tiny woman as hard as he could. She flew backwards and smashed into a table but instead of staying down stood and scoffed, her wings appearing from nowhere. "That's it big bro?" Afriel stood and grabbed a chair before hurling it at him full speed.

Maze and Chloe watched with wide eyes as the two continued to fight, brutal punches and kicks, flying furniture smashing into each other and blood starting to seep from cuts being formed. At one point Lucifer grabbed her left wing and twisted until it cracked, a malicious grin on his face but it quickly vanished when she elbowed him hard in the temple. His form transformed instantly, eyes blazing red and skin sizzling from heat. He bared his teeth and growled at this tiny menace and backhanded her hard enough to knock her down.

The beating lasted for what seemed an eternity but ended when the little angel finally picked up Lucifer and threw him against the wall, the marble cracking as his head snapped back against it, his human face returning just in time for everyone in the room to see the pain flash across his features. He slumped gracelessly to the floor and coughed up a mouthful of blood before collapsing onto his back in exhaustion and stared at the ceiling. "What in the bloody hell do you want twat?" he panted.

"What I want," she screamed furiously. "Is for you to go back to the hole you crawled out of. You deserve to be down in the pit rotting but instead you're up here living it up and sinning enough to make even the darkest soul blush. Hell was your punishment, not your reward. You're not a victim Lucifer, you are evil incarnate."

Lucifer pulled himself and dusted off and placed a hand on the cracked wall to keep himself upright. "So what, you're taking over for Dad now? Here to put me back in my place? It's not your job little one; you job is to- well- whatever the hell you do. I really don't pay much attention to the ones on the bottom of the hierarchy."

The woman was seething. "God is lenient on you for some reason. You've always been his weak point. He's blind to your doings."

Lucifer smirked, "Well I always was his favorite, can't help it that he made me first. That's what the issue is, isn't it? Jealousy? You're throwing a hissy fit because I get to do what I like and you have to do what he tells you to." His smile dropped instantly when he caught sight of Chloe stuck to the wall looking terrified and with some focus he snapped his fingers and everyone in the room froze except for the pair. With slightly unsteady steps he wobbled over and stood a few feet away, shoulders hunched and hands out in a non-threatening gesture. "Chloe," he started but broke off because what could he possibly say?

"Chloe Decker allow me to properly introduce myself," he finally said, stifling a cough and wiping blood from his lips on his sleeve. "I'm Lucifer Morningstar, the Devil."

Chloe looked petrified and smashed herself against the wall behind her but her voice somehow came out steady. "So it's real? You're really the Devil? Like God cast you down, straight from the bible?"

He nodded minutely. "Sorry love, I tried to tell you."

The detective swallowed thickly and shook her head, "It's just. I just saw it, wings and an angel, and you- your face- and everything else but it's like I can't comprehend it." As if remembering whom she was speaking to she squared her shoulders and firmly met his eyes. "Are you going to hurt me?"

Lucifer looked like he wanted to cry but it was gone as quickly as it came, the black orbs filled with what seemed like pride at her courage. "I could never hurt you," he whispered, his voice carrying through the empty space. Hoping he wasn't pushing it he took a step forward and was pleased when his companion didn't flinch or try to step back. "I can't hold time much longer, I need to you leave. "

Chloe chanced a step towards the door but stopped. Everything in her wanted to run, to leave and never look back but she just couldn't do it. The man speaking to her was the Devil but at the same time he was still just Lucifer; the man she had known for months, who made her laugh, who praised her mind and morals. The man who seemed so intelligent and worldly at times yet completely innocent and ignorant at others. The one who seemed to always be in her corner and had never betrayed her.

As if reading her mind Lucifer sternly ordered, "Chloe run!"

A small noise made her turn and she watched as everyone began to move again, at first in slow-motion before they returned to normal.

Afriel lifted her arm but jerked to a stop and looked around trying to see where Lucifer had suddenly gotten off to. Her teeth ground together when she spotted him. "Cheater." In a blink she had Chloe against the wall again but paused when Lucifer lifted his hand and looked ready to snap his fingers. "Go ahead child, I've always wanted to paint the walls red."

"Then why haven't you done it?" the small woman screamed with arms opened wide, blood pouring from her nose.

Lucifer's hand shook with restraint before he finally dropped it, "Because despite what you think I'm not a monster, I don't like torturing or killing things, especially my brethren."

"Enough!" Amenadiel commanded, appearing suddenly in his traditional robes and with wings spread wide. Afriel's black wings puffed at the sudden intrusion. Lucifer rolled his eyes at the posturing pair.

"Yes let's all show off in front of the one that burned his. It's no wonder I hate you lot."

Afriel clenched her fist and Lucifer winced in pain as a tightening spread in his chest, it felt like someone was trying to rip his heart from his body. "Get rid of her!" Lucifer shouted to Amenadiel, his fist over his heart, "or I will."

When no one moved the Devil frowned in confusion before his jaw dropped and the tightening stopped. "You two are working together!" His eyes blazed red as rage overtook him, his face morphing at the anger filling him, "You both are working together to get me back to Hell."

The hate was obvious but all Amenadiel could see was the hurt. They had seemed to unofficially call a truce lately and he tried to get his older sibling to understand. They had come so far in such a short while; he almost had his brother back. "You wouldn't go back by choice so I recruited Afriel to help force you. Circumstances changed recently though-"

"What circumstances?" Lucifer interrupted, completely ignorant as to what his meaning was. When the other angel's gaze slid to the two women against the wall he scoffed and his human face returned. "Nothing's changed." At the other angel's sad expression he crossed his arms, "I'm incapable of love, Father made sure of it. He destroyed any chance of that when he showed me that it all ends in pain."

Afriel watched the entire interaction carefully and grinned maliciously when it clicked. "It seems our brother has lost his nerve, luckily I don't sway so easy." She pulled two knives out of her pants and giggled when Maze screamed in disbelief. "Hope you don't mind demon, I borrowed these. You should really pay more attention to where you leave your things." She instantly flung one at the Devil who released an anguished cry as it ripped through his skin and buried itself above his left kneecap.

The pain was blinding, a white hot searing that trigged every nerve ending in his entire body but he forced as much of it down as possible and managed to stay upright. "Now whose the cheater?"

Amenadiel tried to run forward but the tiny angel jerked her eyes over to him and with a wave of her arm he was gone.

"This has gone on too long." She twisted and faced Chloe, "If you won't go to Hell willingly, perhaps you'll follow someone else down."

It happened so fast that no one had time to react until it was too late. Afriel pulled back and hurled the other knife forward at an alarming speed. Maze struggled at the invisible barriers holding her, her mind racing as she dealt with the urge to help her creator. Lucifer however didn't hesitate, didn't flinch, only reacted by pure instinct and held out his hand to pause the blade midair. It took so much concentration for his worn body that he was literally shaking from head to toe with the effort.

It was in this moment; in the time it took to make this split second decision that he realized he cared more deeply for Chloe Decker than he had ever cared for anyone. Lucifer was the king of self-preservation, he would sacrifice whomever he had to to save his own skin but it wasn't even a question to put Chloe in front of himself. The woman was everything good and right in the world, all wrapped up in a beautiful and headstrong package. He wouldn't, couldn't let her demise be caused by him inadvertently or not.

"Maze," Lucifer gritted out, hoping she understood what was about to happen as he began to lose the battle with his pain and exhaustion.

Ariel smirked at the situation and walked forward slowly, taking her time and savoring the moment. Her small form paused only a foot away form her older brother and she smiled happily, "Sorry Luci, can't win 'em all." She spun expertly and gracefully, her wings slicing Lucifer across the midsection, blood instantly pouring out of the massive wound.

Chloe screamed at the sight, praying that this was all just a terrible nightmare and grunted when she was shoved to the floor seconds before the blade buried itself in the wall where her head had been. Maze had received the message, _save Chloe _, and did as Lucifer wished even though it went against ever instinct she had.__

Lucifer looked down and gingerly touched the wound where blood was still flowing and unwillingly he swayed and fell hard to the floor. His entire body began to shake as a large pool of blood began to form underneath him, the crimson liquid spilling across the floor.

Lucifer's head lolled to the side and he glared at the small angel looking pleased with herself. She skipped happily up to him and stuck her hand unceremoniously in his front right pocket as he choked on the blood now filling his mouth. He knew what she was after but it was the unnecessary and inappropriate touches that made him want to vomit and he wished she would just find it and stop touching him. Her small hand continued to dig around before finally pulling out his Pentecostal coin. "Can't forget about this can we? Don't want you coming back, plus it might come in handy for me."

"Not where you're going," he coughed before snapping his fingers.

The other angel suddenly exploded, blood and flesh, bones and hair flying in every direction leaving nothing where she had been standing. Blood painted the walls as chunks of skin fell heavily to the floor, shards of bone clattering.

Lucifer tried to take in a breath but it was getting more difficult and when hands grabbed his head he looked up into dark brown eyes filled with tears and overflowing with anxiety. "I can fix this," Maze whispered shakily. "I kept a feather from your wings, I can fix this."

"Klepto," he gagged. "We both know angel wings cause mortal wounds, a mere feather of mine won't fix this mess." He grunted and jerked when she grabbed the blade still in his leg and mercilessly ripped it out, tossing it behind her without a glance. "I'll follow you down, I'll return to Hell at once."

"No need," he coughed. "Take care of yourself, I won't be able to protect you anymore."

She ever so gently cradled his face and placed a chaste kiss to his forehead, a few stray tears falling from her eyes. "I'll fight until my dying breath."

"That's my girl."

His eyes began to glaze and he felt himself being lifted slightly and was vaguely aware that someone was holding him. To his horror it was his brother carrying him bridal style. He could barely keep his eyes open but still managed a weak glare at his dark skinned sibling. "I hate you so very, very much."

Amenadiel smiled sadly and looked down at his big brother. He seemed so frail in this instance, a terrible contrast to his usual larger than life presence. Gone was the powerful archangel and in its place was a human slowly bleeding out. His long limbs hung limply, and even though he would deny it until the end of time it felt like an honor to be here at the Devil's demise. No one was there to see his creation and only he was there to see the end. Forcing down his emotions he cleared his throat, "Would you like me to barter with Father?"

"No," Lucifer rasped. "Just toss me down somewhere on the floor and I'll die. No sense in ruining the upholstery on the couches or opening old wounds."

Amenadiel gently laid him down on a couch despite his insistence not to and knelt down to grab his hand and speak face to face. "I'm sorry brother, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault, and I tried so very hard to get back before anything like this happened."

"Good, you bastard," Lucifer mumbled. "I don't blame you though. Can't fault you for being you, you self righteous prick."

Amenadiel nodded and squeezed his hand a little tighter. "You were the worst brother I ever could have asked for, yet you were the only one who was always there every single time I needed you."

"I like people to owe me," he grinned weakly. "This hurts so much more than I though it would," he whined and let his eyes fall shut for a moment before opening them. This time only one other person seemed to be there, a beautiful woman with light green eyes and honey blonde hair.

"You stopped her from killing me," Chloe quietly exclaimed and twisted around to better see him and held his face softly in her hands. "I- you-," she tried before tears began to fall. "I don't understand all of it but I know I don't want you to die. Will you go back to hell?"

Too tired to even try to reassure he and his hand tried to rise to touch her a final time but he didn't have the energy. "Yes."

"Lucifer, I-" she began before she began to cry harder. "You make the world a better place, you deserve to stay here." She broke off and traced a finger over his brows and down the bridge of his nose. "I think I love you."

Despite bleeding out and dying he still managed a very weak eye roll, "Now you tell me. You've got terrible timing."

Knowing this was it he chose his words very carefully, whispering each one slowly. "Chloe Decker, you've made me want to be a better man than I ever thought possible. I'm sorry for the hurt I've caused you and had I the ability to love, I believe I would love you as well."

A hand on Chloe's shoulder made her turn and look up at Amenadiel who was clutching a hysterical Maze against his side, his wing encasing her. "He's gone."


	13. Part II - King of Pain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was supposed to be the last chapter to wrap everything up with a nice shiny bow but this fic has taken on a life of it's own and I swear these characters are just doing whatever the hell they want at this point. For this reason and the slight change in plot I'm going to treat this as a 'Part II'. Hope you all enjoy!
> 
> Song: King of Pain by The Police

Chloe looked up at Lucifer's brother and nodded once, understanding what he was saying but knowing that it hadn't quite fully hit her yet. Her hand rose to hastily wipe away her tears and she turned to try to get one last look at her best friend but there was nothing on the couch except a large blood stain.

"Where is he?" she cried, slightly hysterical. The mind could only handle so much and hers was put past the breaking point about 20 minutes ago.

"Hell," Maze choked out. "It's his body wherever he goes, Hell or here." Her grief was abruptly changed into self-loathing and anger. "It's my fault! Dammit! He made me to protect him and I failed him. He died on my watch with my blades!"

"It's not your fault," Amenadiel said with a note of finality.

"Yes it was!" she raged on, shoving herself away from the angel. "Now he's down there again, with no way to get back here. With no one to-" she broke off and her eyes widened. "I have to get down there somehow." With wild eyes she looked at Amenadiel, "He has no way to protect himself, I have to be there. He's alone, completely alone."

"No," Amenadiel argued. "You can't go down there, there's no telling where in Hell you'll end up. He's fine, Luci can defend himself."

Maze glared up at him, "I was his weapon, he never had to. Before we left there were talks of an uprising, which isn't anything new. Lucifer always destroyed them before they could get anything really going but he left five years ago."

Amenadiel looked nauseous, "Meaning they have six hundred years in Hell of anger built up and he doesn't have his wings."

Meanwhile…

Lucifer opened his eyes sharply and sucked in a breath before coughing and clearing his throat. Home, he thought to himself and let out a bone deep sigh. It wasn't that he hated it, far from it actually but it just wasn't as fun as the mortal plane. Humans were exciting, fascinating little things that he couldn't help but be drawn to. They showed so much emotion, so much feeling that it was impossible to not be entertained by them.

His feet moved of their own accord, the landscape known by heart and needing little attention meaning his mind was free to wander. It was difficult to be back, being on earth had spoiled him, shown him what he was missing. Speaking of missing-

Chloe.

His step faltered as he paused and stared with wide eyes at the ash-covered ground, his breathing hitching. He would never see her again. Chloe was destined for Heaven, a soul that bright would never even be considered for the Underworld. That simple fact almost brought him to his knees and he suddenly felt as if he couldn't breath. His entire world was closing in on him in the worst way; everything he had gained had just been viciously torn from him, just like before. Just like always. Maybe he was destined to be alone, to never be truly happy. Who knows, maybe he deserved it.

"Lucifer?"

Lucifer looked over at a small demon with black eyes and snapped, "What?" When it scurried over and grabbed onto his pant leg excitedly he shook his leg and hissed, "I don't like to be touched, you know that you disgusting little thing." With quick steps it retreated before turning and disappearing into a shadow cast by one of the dead trees.

Dead. Everything was dead here, from the trees to the inhabitants. The air even had the stale stench of it and he hated that he would not get to smell the spice of cinnamon or the sweetness of Chloe's perfume again. He'd never again get to see the sun rise over the horizon or taste the smoothness of aged whisky splashing across his tongue.

None of it mattered down here, ever thing was plain. The sky was always black and the ground was always grey, ash always fell from above and if you were lucky the wind wouldn't pick up too much. The screams and pleas could be heard regardless of where you were and worst of all his demon companion was gone.

"Maze," he whispered under his breath. For the first time since he had created her she wasn't here.

Nothing was all that lied ahead of him and for someone that craved companionship it was terrifying. His surroundings suddenly felt darker than he remembered and much larger and he subconsciously hunched his shoulders slightly and quickened his step.

When Lucifer stepped foot in the corner of Hell he had carved for himself he finally relaxed a little and let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding. Mentally he scolded himself, why was he so uneasy in the place he had called home for millennia? Nothing had changed, at least that he could see, and he supposed it was the result of being away for a while and adjusting to his current situation.

Speaking of. "Where is everyone?" he murmured to himself. Figuring he would deal with everything later he dropped onto his old bed and let out a long breath. Everything in him hurt, from his feet to his head and he absently rubbed a hand over his stomach where he had been gutted earlier. The physical wounds were gone somehow and he wasn't about to question it but the pain and memory was still fresh. It had hurt so badly, more than he could ever imagine and he knew exactly why. When Afriel had attacked he knew that his vacation was over, that he would be returned to Hell where everyone seemed to want him to be. Everyone except one person. The physical pain was nothing compared to what happened to Chloe. She had had her safe little world ripped violently from her in the worst way and on top of that she had apparently loved him and was forced to watch him die a slow death. Watching her suffer was worse than a thousand deaths.

"She loves me," he whispered to no one in particular. Now that everything had calmed down he was able to really feel the words and replayed them over and over in his mind. The idea that someone could love him was preposterous yet she had said it, even after she had seen him for what he really was. Maybe Hell wasn't his punishment; maybe it was this because nothing had ever hurt him as badly as having the second person to ever love him snatched away at the last moment.

He didn't realize he was crying until he felt wetness on his cheeks and he lifted his hand to rub the tears away. When was the last time he had cried? Had he ever cried? He hastily wiped away the offending objects as more fell but he couldn't seem to stop and finally he gave up. Huge sobs wracked his lean frame, his hands clenching as he released an anguished cry and cursed the Heavens.

"Is this what you wanted?" he screamed to no one in particular. "I'm finally breaking you bastard! You've taken everything from me, everything! I hate you! I bloody hate you!"

Predictably no one answered, he wasn't struck down, and no sign was given that anyone had heard his cries. Feeling exhausted he let his eyes fall closed again and drifted off to a restless sleep, unaware of how much worse it was going to get.

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"Chloe, you ok? I heard you called in sick to work yesterday and today. I'm going to swing by after work and check on you and Trix, hope everything's ok." Chloe pressed the delete button and shook her head, Dan was the last thing she needed right now.

The door swung open without a knock and for a heart wrenching second she almost expected Lucifer to walk through with his confident swagger and wicked grin. But it wasn't him, it would never be him again and when she laid eyes on Dan she felt stupid at her hopeful thinking. She had watched the man die, bleed out in her arms and take his last breath. He wasn't coming back.

Dan laid eyes on his ex-wife and grimaced, whatever was wrong it was bad. She looked like she hadn't showered in days and was dressed in pjs. Her hair was a rat's nest and her normally bright eyes were hidden under dark circles. "You ok Chloe?"

"I'll be fine, it's just been a rough couple days," she replied evenly. She had cried and pleaded and gone through all the stages of grief before she accepted it. Chloe had always been a strong woman and nothing was going to change that no matter how badly this hurt. Nothing was going to bring him back and it wasn't fair to Trixie to fall apart.

Dan glanced around, "Surprised Lucifer isn't here taking care of you, but then again he has a hard time thinking of anyone but himself."

Chloe nearly bit her tongue off. "Yes well, you won't have to be worrying about him anymore."

"What? Why?" he questioned, his tone both hopeful and curious.

Chloe paused because really, what could she say? She couldn't tell him he was dead because there wasn't a death certificate since there wasn't a body. But then again, he had seemed pretty convinced that Lucifer was the Devil. "He was set up by his brother and another angel as a plan to get him back to Hell. They killed him and now he's gone forever." She almost wanted him to laugh, to take her to a mental hospital where they could tell her this was all some messed up mind trick and none of it was real. At least then she could pretend she had never met the most intelligent, funny, and handsome man to ever walk the earth.

Instead Dan simply nodded. "Wow, so the Devil's back in Hell." He smiled a little, "That's a relief. I still can't believe you didn't believe me, the man was pure evil and for some reason you didn't believe it."

Chloe stood in anger, her fists clenched. "It's just all about you isn't it Dan, always has been and always will be. He might have been the Devil, " _Did I really just say that? _" but he was also a good man. There was nothing evil about him. I- I loved him."__

Detective Espinoza looked like he'd been punched in the gut. "You loved him?"

Chloe expected a tirade, a happy dance, a shouting match but instead was gathered up in a hug. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize how much he meant to you."

"That's it?" she asked in disbelief.

Dan nodded, "There's a lot more I could and want to say but what it comes down to is that you loved someone and they died. I care about you Chloe and I feel so bad for you having to feel this." _And now I don't have to worry about the Devil stealing my family. ___

Chloe hugged him back but it felt wrong. Dan was too short and bulky, his jacket was too scratchy and he smelled like coffee and sweat instead of Bourbon and cigarettes.

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Lucifer woke slowly and blinked lazily before suddenly jerking awake when he remembered where he was. With no one here to watch his back from less savory souls and demons he chastised himself for letting his guard down. It was a habit though, he had always had Maze to watch out for him and on Earth he didn't have to truly worry. Now it was different. Everything was different.

A small noise behind him made him spin and he glared at the same small demon that he had seen yesterday. "What is it with you?" he growled. "Leave me alone or I'll squish you like a bug." The demon cast him an onyx filled stare before turning slightly with a whip of its tail, flashing him a look that made the Devil feel very uneasy. Refusing to feel nervous in his own domain he squared his shoulders and walked quickly after it, his fists balled and a scowl on his handsome face. "Stop! I demand you to stop!"

The demon did as told and turned to face him properly, eyes bulging when Lucifer grabbed it by the throat and jerked it back and forth. "I don't much like you so I'm going to end you. Any last words, I do love a good beg."

The demon opened his mouth and whispered so softly that Lucifer could barely hear him. "Behind you."

Lucifer clenched his fist, severing the head from the demon and spun to see Beleth and Azazel standing a safe distance away with many more behind them. "What's all this?" he sneered. "Just because I took a sabbatical you all think you can do whatever you please, have you forgotten whose in charge here? I will crush whomever defies me."

It was Azazel who moved first, a straightforward attack that seemed to not be well planned and Lucifer instantly stopped him by ripping his heart from his ribcage as soon as he was close enough. With a maniacal glint in his glowing red eyes and a bloody heart in his right hand he grinned. "Now who's next?"

Lucifer's eyes widened as thousands of demons and souls descended on him at once but he stood his ground. He held off the first few easily, obliterating them with barely a thought but as more and more came he realized there wasn't really a way for him to win this. There was too many and he didn't have his wings or Maze meaning his energy would only last for so long. He gave everything he had and when they finally knocked him down he still fought, kicking and biting and punching until Beleth approached and kicked him so hard in the head he was knocked unconscious.

Pain, terrible throbbing pain filled his head and he forced his eyes open to see where he was and what was happening. He tried to cradle his head but became acutely aware that he was chained to something and couldn't move. Panic rose in his chest as he fought against his restraints, he was the one that was always in control; he was the one that controlled everything. Feelings of helplessness filled him as he jerked against the bindings trying with all his strength but they never even cracked.

"Lucifer."

He looked up with wild eyes at Beleth and tried to project a calmness that he didn't feel. "When I get out of these I'm going to torture you for centuries, after I break all the legs of that hideous thing you call a horse."

Beleth tilted his head, "When you get out? You will be held here for eternity, torture and pain is all you will know."

"Why?" Lucifer questioned. He had to know why.

The demons face was mostly hidden by his armor but his mouth was not and it curled into an almost smile. "You left us with nothing, no leader and no direction. I took charge. Now you will suffer the consequences."

As a sadist and sometimes masochist the Devil was well accustomed to pain, both giving and receiving. The first whip barely fazed him, as did the second, and the third, and finally the beatings. Pain was so much a part of him that it really didn't do much to him anymore and unfortunately the demons seemed to realize this after only a few weeks.

Carnivean, a large heavyset demon with beady eyes and stale breath, began lumbering forward on the seventh week, demons scurrying out of his way as the ground trembled under his feet. Lucifer couldn't help but struggle, not this anything but this. "No! No. You can't do this! No!"

The disfigured and disgusting figure ignored his pleas and when he ran a slimy tongue up Lucifer's neck and ear the devil closed his eyes and imagined himself anywhere but here. He did his best to tune out the grunts and pants, the horrible feelings of humiliation filling him and waited for it to be over. The assault lasted for what felt like days and as soon as it was over he couldn't even catch his breath before the physical pain began again.

They were breaking him piece by piece and unbeknownst to him, the Heaven's wept.


	14. Save Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Save Me by Avenged Sevenfold

"Decker!"

Chloe jerked in surprise, nearly dropping the spatula in her right hand and flinging scrambled eggs across the kitchen. With a sharp glare she faced the person who had just burst unannounced into her home at seven-thirty in the morning. "You can't just run into people's houses! What if I had shot you?"

Maze looked at her as if she was stupid, "I'd be fine, demon remember?" Walking fully into the house she noticed Trixie sitting at the table and couldn't help but grin. The kid was amazing. "Trixie, how goes the zookeeper training?"

Trixie smiled brightly at the demon. "Mom won't get me a tiger."

"Buzzkill."

Chloe tightly smiled at the other woman and pushed some eggs onto her daughter's plate and returned the pan to the stove. "Any particular reason you're here Maze?"

The demon's eyes slid over to Trixie before meeting the blonde's again. Taking the hint Chloe brushed past her out onto the porch and crossed her arms after closing the door. "What?"

Maze looked excited and pulled something out of her bra and held it up. "I found one."

Chloe frowned in confusion and even though she wanted to just go back in the house and ignore this insane creature she forced herself to stay. Since Lucifer… left, Maze had visited exactly two times in the last four months and both visits were short and bitter. This time though something was different. "Found one what?" She plucked the object out of the brunette's fingers and inspected it. It was a coin; to be specific it was a coin that looked exactly like the one Lucifer used to have. "What's so special about this? Lucifer had one just like it, he took it everywhere."

Maze ground her teeth together and snatched it back, "You're such an imbecile, seriously what does he even see in you?" Before the detective could even try to defend herself Mazikeen continued. "It's a Pentecostal coin. There were exactly six in existence when they were forged, the last known one was destroyed when Lucifer blew up Afriel like a firecracker in a watermelon."

A grimace covered the blonde's face at the memory. "Ok?"

"You're not getting this are you?" she growled. "These coins were made as a way to cross planes, a single coin was used as a ticket to Hell or Earth and back. One round trip. Lucifer kept his as a safe guard just in case." Seeing Chloe was finally catching on she dealt the final blow. "I can use this to get to Hell and bring Lucifer back." As if to herself she mumbled, "I still don't know how I found it."

Maze could bring Lucifer back? That was impossible, he was dead, had been for months. Her heart began to pound, blood rushing in her ears and her vision tunneled. This wasn't happening. "No," she whispered. "You can't- I can't-"

The demon looked like she had been slapped. "You don't want him back? I thought you loved him," she seethed, eyes flashing. "Did you only say it because he was dying? Did you ever care?" Fed up she stuffed the coin back in her top and stepped back to leave. "He deserves better than you."

Chloe grabbed onto Maze's arm but immediately let go at her homicidal expression. "I do love him and I miss him every damn day but I'm finally moving on. I'm a realist, not a dreamer and as much as I want to believe you I can't. He's been gone for four months Maze-"

"Forty years. I get you're human so you have a harder time grasping things but it's been forty years. Forty years alone. In Hell. Probably getting tortured." Seeing the other woman look sick made her continue, she needed her to understand. "Just because he runs Hell doesn't mean that it's his wonderland. Picture the worst most painful thing you've ever experienced, then times it by a million. Even that doesn't compare to Hell."

The detective dropped down onto the front steps and swallowed down her feelings of nausea. "Why are you telling me all this?"

"Because I'm bringing him back, and as much as I hate to say it he's going to need you. So put on your big girl panties, get rid of the bullshit, and get ready."

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"Maze…" Amenadiel chided gently. "Let sleeping dogs lie. He's back where he belongs."

Maze shook her head, "He belongs here. It took me a long time to see that but he needs to be here on the mortal plane."

The angel crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, "What do you need me for? Balance has been restored and I'm back in Heaven, I don't see the problem here."

"You're his brother," she sneered. "I have the coin but I need help getting to him, would you seriously send me alone?"

"No," the angel sighed. "I would not send you alone."

Not waiting any longer Maze wrapped herself tightly around him and pulled out the coin, flipping it up in the air and focusing. When it landed it landed on ash-covered ground under a midnight sky. The demon immediately released the angel and looked around at the barren landscape. "We're not far from where he should be, if he's not there we'll have to track him."

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Maze's eyes narrowed when they caught sight of Lucifer's throne and found not the Morningstar perched upon it but another sitting quite comfortably. She crouched behind a large rock and watched him with barely contained fury. "Beleth," she growled. "This is bad, we have to find Lucifer," she whispered to her companion who looked less than pleased at being here.

Amenadiel looked around and pointed to a cave that demons seemed to be passing in and out of. "There seems to be a lot of activity over there."

Maze agreed and the pair worked there way over, leaving a wide berth between them and the inhabitants of Hell as they silently moved amongst the dead fallen trees and large boulders. Against the angel's wishes Maze slid silently through the shadows around the corner and into the cave. When nothing happened Amenadiel followed, his eyes darting around for witnesses. The pair rounded the last corner in unison, taking out a pair of twisted souls before they could scream, and laid eyes on the nightmare in front of them.

"No," Maze whispered. "No, no, no."

The Morningstar had never looked so dim.

Lucifer was tied to a wall, heavy chains seemingly supporting him as he hung lifelessly. His wrists were raw from the restraints, almost worn down the bone and blood and bruises covered his entire body. His hair was plastered to his head with dried blood and every shaky breath he took made a terrible gurgling noise. Every finger was broken and a large wound in his chest was bleeding freely. Barbs were stuck in his legs and arms and his shoulders looked dislocated.

Maze ran forward and grabbed his face in her hands and forced his head up, her hands trembling in fear. "Lucifer? Lucifer!" He never responded or gave any indication he had even heard her. His eyes looked dull and empty, a terrible contradiction to how they normally gleamed and seemed to be staring straight thru her. Blood dripped sluggishly from his parted lips and broken nose, driving onto the ground below him. "I know you're in there somewhere. Just hold on a little longer, I'm getting you out of here." She moved her attention away from his face and onto the chains, which she tried to pry off but they weren't budging. "Amenadiel, help."

The angel, who had been frozen at the sight of his older brother so beaten and weak, snapped out of it and shakily walked forward. "I- I had no idea." He grasped the restraints and with almost all his effort finally broke one, followed by another, and finally the last two.

If it hadn't been for Maze Lucifer would have collapsed face first onto the dirt and ash beneath him, his legs to weak to support him. The demon carefully lowered him to the ground and shook her head in rage and anger, wanting so badly to rip apart every single demon that had done this to him. He didn't deserve this, any of it. Her fingers closed around the barbs and she stuffed her arm in his mouth before ripping them out, her heart breaking at his anguished cries. She couldn't help but hold him close and rock him back and forth, hopefully providing some sort of comfort but he wasn't responding to anything. A scent caught her attention and she scanned the room for the dreaded creature it belonged to before realizing it was coming from Lucifer himself. She barely withheld a scream of rage.

"Carnivean," she spit through clenched teeth. How dare they touch her master? How dare they defile him with that terrible thing? She had watched in twisted fascination when Carnivean was summoned or it was his turn at the rack and every single time she turned away at some point, unable to watch him for too long. And he had touched Lucifer. Her hands were shaking, she was fighting her very nature sitting here instead of destroying. Knowing that demons would soon come back she reluctantly left Lucifer's side and looked around, "Amenadiel come here, help me with these chains. I have an idea."

The angel approached and looked at the wall in confusion before grabbing them, "What do you need?"

"This," she sneered and clasped his arm in where Lucifer's had been, using the element of surprise in her favor and managing to get the second manacle on before he realized what had happened. She quickly stepped back and eyed him critically, hoping the binds would hold.

"What is this?" the angel chuckled.

There was no humor on her face when she answered, her voice low and dangerous. "You betrayed him, your own brother. This happened because of you. All of this blood is on your hands and now you'll feel his pain."

Noises and shuffling from outside made Amenadiel turn and begin trying to break the cuffs. "This isn't funny Maze. Help me out now or suffer my wrath."

"This was always a one way trip for you," she hissed. "You thought you could get away with this? Lucifer is my everything, I would kill anyone a thousand times over for wronging him. You brought that other fucking angel into it, into you little plan of revenge just to protect your ego and your brother suffered the consequences. Terrible, humiliating consequences."

"I'll get out of here easily, I'll come for you."

Maze shook her head, "You won't have the chance." She sucked in a deep breath and screamed as loud as she could, "Beleth!"

The sound of thundering steps met both their ears and Maze dropped down to grab onto Lucifer as best she could. Not waiting to see what would happen she dug out the coin and met Amenadiel's eyes as she flipped it into the air. "The saddest thing about betrayal, is that it never comes from you enemies."

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Chloe paced back and forth in Lucifer's apartment wondering what in the hell she was doing here. She had avoided this place since Lucifer had died; it just brought up too many memories. Everything was exactly as it had been, there wasn't even any dust covering the surfaces and she wondered if Maze herself had kept up with it.

The building was Lucifer's, paid in full, and since there was no proof he had died Maze must have taken over and acted as if he never left. Even the club was still open, though not quite as popular since the enigmatic owner hadn't been seen there lately. Lucifer was't just a man after all, he was a presence, a beacon that people flocked to.

Her hands gently traced the bar and she let out a strained smile at the sight of the piano. Her heart clenched and she wondered why she had even listened to Maze and shown up here. _Three days. Be at the flat in three days. _So here she was, waiting for Maze to supposedly return from Hell with Lucifer. This was all so out of her comfort zone, so past anything she wanted to think about. As much as she had tried to put everything that had happened in a deep recess of her mind she was unable because to ignore all the Biblical things would been ignoring Lucifer. She didn't want to forget him, ever.__

Chloe lifted her arm and stared at the white wristwatch on her thin wrist, she would have to leave soon to meet Dan for their dinner date. A huge part of her wondered what she was doing trying it again with him, but he had been so sweet and attentive these last few months that a couple weeks ago she had finally caved. Not a word was spoken about Maze's plan and she told herself it was because nothing was going to come of it, not because she was still in love with a dead man.

A soft metallic clang against the floor made her turn around and look for the sudden noise. There at her feet was the coin that Maze had shown her a few days ago, but instead of gleaming bright it was covered in blood and what looked to be ash. A scream burst from her lips as two figures appeared from seemingly nowhere and fell hard to the floor in front of her. There on the flawless tiles was Maze, looking a little worse for wear but it was what she was on top of that caught her full attention. "Lucifer?"

Maze looked up sharply, her eyes animalistic and expression wild. "Stay with him."

Chloe watched her run to somewhere in the flat before looking down at the limp figure in front of her and she covered her mouth at the horror facing her. She had never seen anyone that was still alive look this bad. She placed a hand on his neck and felt for a pulse, breathing a sigh of relief at the weak pounding under her finger.

Lucifer suddenly coughed, blood splattering out of his mouth as his chest heaved with the effort, the wound on his chest flaring. His gaze unfocused as his eyes opened and tried to see what was happening. When his dull eyes looked at Chloe he stared, unable to look away.

Chloe swallowed thickly at him and tried to ignore the blood dripping down his cheeks and the terrible gurgling coming from him every time he tried to take a breath. "Do you know where you are?"

Maze burst back into the room with a small box and hurriedly opened it, inside was what seemed to be a stark white bird feather. With unsteady hands she grasped it and placed it on the large hole in Lucifer's chest and waited.

Chloe looked at her like she was insane. "We need to call an ambulance, this isn't the time for all your guys' voodoo crap."

"No," the demon barked and smiled a little in relief when the wound seemed to knit closed. Not wasting any time she stood and grabbed Lucifer's right side, ignoring his pained noises and looked expectantly at the other woman. "Grab his other side, we need to get him cleaned up."

"What? Maze no!" Chloe argued. "We need to get him to the hospital where they can help him. He can't even talk, his jaw is obviously broken not to mention everything else."

Maze's face flickered to her true form before back to human. "I just went to Hell and somehow managed to bring him back. The least you can do is help me clean him up, or do you really not care?"

Instead of an answer Chloe grabbed his arm and held him up best she could with Maze, the man was lean but was so tall that his feet drug across the floor. When they entered the bathroom Maze ordered Chloe into the large tub and dumped Lucifer on top of her before turning on the shower on the fully clothed pair and letting it beat down upon them. Both women were silent as the water turned a soft pink and eventually a bright red.

Chloe's voice broke slightly as she spoke, her hair beginning to matte to her head from the moisture. "Maze? Could you give me a few minutes with him? Please?"

Maze looked to her creator's face and ran her hand softly down his cheek before standing. "I'll get towels."

Finally alone Chloe wrapped her arms fully around Lucifer and rested her cheek on his head. He was back. Here. Safe. Tortured. Bloody. Silent. Hurting.

Forty years had passed? Forty years of pain and suffering and torture and she had moved on to Dan? The thought made her physically ill. She didn't deserve him, didn't deserve to be here with him. A small hiccup was the first sign that her mind was finally catching up to everything that had happened and only a moment later a broken sob left her. Tears fell down her face, washed away by the water falling upon them as she squeezed him as tightly as a child and her teddy bear.

A groan that sounded suspiciously like 'Chloe' made her gasp.

Chloe choked on her tears and dropped his head from her chest onto her elbow and looked at his face where he was looking around with frantic eyes, his body tense as he tried to fight against whatever was holding him. "I'm here, I'm here," she soothed trying to get him to stop moving. No more words were spoken but Lucifer relaxed slightly and leaned into her shoulder.

This wasn't about her, crying was selfish and there were bigger things that required immediate attention. She managed to wrestle him out of the scraps of shirt that had barely survived Hell without hurting him too badly and slowly began to try to scrub off the grime, blood, ash, and God knows what else from his skin. Her hands moved carefully around his severely damaged wrists and she bit her lip to keep from crying again at the pain he had to endure before her fingers intertwined with his. His hair was next and she lathered up her hands before working her fingers across his scalp, removing dried blood and scabs and finally rinsing it.

"Need help?" Maze asked quietly from the doorway.

Chloe nodded, "Please?"

Once the pair was finished they managed to get him out of the tub and onto his bed where he curled up on the edge and quickly fell asleep, a pillow clutched tightly to his chest.

"He looks a lot better," Chloe said softly, her fingertips gently rubbing up and down his arm. It was true; he at least looked somewhat like the old Lucifer now. Maze had wrapped his wrists and bandaged most of his various cuts, knowing the small ones would fade quickly. She had reset his fingers and fixed his shoulders while Chloe held him still and even though Chloe still wanted to take him to the hospital Maze had informed her it would do more harm than good.

"Yeah," Maze agreed. "It's not the physical wounds I'm worried about."

Chloe hadn't even thought of that. "I can't imagine what he's been through, he must have been beaten over and over."

"Among other things," Maze added, her tone dark. When Chloe looked confused she shook her head, "Not my place. He'll tell you what he wants to when he wants to. Take care of him, I'm going home to shower and get some sleep. Don't fuck this up Decker."

Finally alone Chloe climbed fully clothed into the bed next to him and even though she wanted to hug him close she refrained for fear of hurting him. She didn't know what the future would hold for them but for right now, he was safe and that was enough for her.


	15. Comes And Goes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so consensus is… Chloe sucks and honestly I'm not sure if you guys will like her much more after this chapter either but hear me out: that's the beauty and heartbreak of real life. People don't always act the way they should or need to; sometimes people say things they don't mean, or react in less than pleasant ways to people or events. It's what comes after these moments that make the difference. After all, "It is not how we make mistakes, but how we correct them, that defines us."
> 
> Also on that note, I love hearing your thoughts and feelings on the story and characters. It makes me happy that you're getting the emotion I'm trying to portray, that you care enough about the characters to voice your pleasure or anger towards them. I guess what I'm trying to say is you guys are awesome, and I'm humbled by the responses to this fic.
> 
> Also this chapter came out hella long for some reason and honestly I could have split it into two but I think it reads better one.
> 
> Sorry for the ramblings. Enjoy!
> 
> Song: Comes And Goes (In Waves) by Greg Laswell

Lucifer's eyes snapped open, his body unmoving as he tried to figure out where he was and who was here with him. His brows gathered in confusion as his surrounds came into focus and he nearly cried when it all came back to him. Maze; beautiful, glorious, Maze had come for him. It was over. It was finally over. He was back on Earth where he could do whatever he wanted all while surrounded by luxuries and comforts. He didn't feel as if he had taken advantage of it before but now, now he appreciated it more than ever.

A small noise made his heart pound and he very slowly moved to see who was in bed with him, a sigh of relief leaving his lips when he saw it was Chloe. She looked the exact same, and was currently on the opposite side of the bed fully clothed and passed out.

Needing time to himself he rose from the bed with minimal wincing and immediately went to the bathroom where he climbed in the shower and tried to gather himself.

So much had happened, yet here he was as if everything was just fine. It felt strange, almost wrong to be here. Everything was so clean and bright and soft, it was a shock to his system after so much time spent in darkness. Why? He kept asking himself. He had asked Beleth but was leaving really so bad? What exactly had he done to deserve that? He had tried to be a good Devil to everyone but you had to be firm, evil didn't respond to niceties. Still though, it was the souls that were punished, not the demons. He wanted so badly to understand but he supposed he never would, if he ever chose to return to Hell he'd obliterate the entire damn thing and everything in it wings or not.

"Amenadiel," he whispered in horror. He had heard him with Maze if he remembered right but everything was so muddled. He remembered his brother yelling and then Maze saying something but what he couldn't remember. Did he make it out? Did he want him to have made it out? This was his brother he was talking about but at the same time he had betrayed him, caused so much pain because of his choices. Couldn't the same be said about him though? Perhaps he would ask Maze what happened at a later date, he didn't feel much like reliving it at this time.

He methodically ran his hands over himself once the water reached scalding feeling for any injuries and was pleased to find he was in mostly good shape. The water under him was tinged with pink but nothing seemed to be too deep or require more care. With careful movements he gently removed the bandages from his wrists and grimaced at them. They must have been pretty bad to still look this worn this morning and he made a mental note to rewrap them when he was done. Those chains had been so tight, held him so unbearably still while Carn- no, he wasn't going there. With gritted teeth he began to scrub his skin, harder and harder until it was raw, bleeding in some spots. He had to remove every trace of him, had to get him off.

He was breathing harder, painful tears running down his face as he continued to scrub until it was finally too much and he gagged trying to keep the bile in his stomach down.

Chloe awoke to a soft breeze whispering through the flat and she blindly extended her arm to find her bedmate. Who didn't seem to be there. Her eyes snapped open as she anxiously looked around the room but Lucifer was nowhere to be seen. Her hands clutched the sheets and threw them back, her feet hitting the cool tiles before she rushed out of the room. She had to find him. What if something had happened? What is this had just been a dream and he wasn't actually here? Her mind raced as she frantically searched the apartment only to pause when she found him.

Lucifer was seated in a chair on the patio area with his eyes closed and a relaxed smile on his face. He was dressed exactly like he used to in a pressed shirt, dress slacks, and shined shoes. A bottle of scotch sat next to him on the ground, mostly empty and a cigarette hung lazily from two fingers on his right hand as he extended both his legs. He looked so serene; it was as if he had never left.

"Hey."

Lucifer released a surprised yelp and flinched harshly at her approach, nearly falling out of the chair before catching himself, his wrists screaming in pain. He flashed her an unsure smile, cleared his throat, and acted as if nothing had happened. "Detective! How nice of you to finally join the living, I thought you were going to spend the entire day in my bed. Which I suppose wouldn't be a bad thing."

She let the fact that she had snuck up on him, something she had never been able to do, slide and padded over to him. After dropping into the other chair she began to look him over, cataloging his injuries and their progress. His jaw seemed to be working fine and his fingers were completely straight, and while she couldn't see his body the cuts and bruises on his face had faded at least slightly. He still had a mean looking black eye and a large cut across his temple that if he were human would most likely require stitches. Even though she now knew what he was, it was still unnerving to see how quickly he healed. The difference from last night to this morning was unbelievable. "How're you feeling?"

"Wonderful," he chirped before grabbing the bottle off the ground and finishing it off in three gulps. "So how goes the detective work?"

Chloe opened her mouth but snapped it shut before speaking. He was acting too normal, or maybe Maze blew the entire thing out of proportion. A niggling in her belly suspected that he was simply deflecting, trying to get out of talking about whatever he had experienced. She would allow it for now. "Not too bad," she began before launching into mindless tales about recent cases, trying to keep talking, as it seemed to have a calming effect on the man.

Lucifer for his part listened quietly and laughed at the appropriate times but unlike he used to be, it seemed almost forced now. Something she said caught his attention and he sat a little straighter, "Wait, you said April. How-" he swallowed thickly. "How long was I gone?"

Chloe bit her lip and reached for his hand, entwining their fingers and rubbing her thumb over the back of his hand. "Four months, one week, and three days," she answered carefully, the number known by heart.

"Ah, yes of course," was all the Devil said. "Is the club still open?"

Chloe nodded instantly. "Maze kept everything going. She was convinced you'd be back."

"But you weren't," he stated, no question in his tone. His hand slid away from hers and he took one last drag off hiscigarette before snuffing it out and carelessly flicking it over the railing of the balcony. "Detective Douche rang you this morning on your cell, then texted. He's worried after you missed your date last night."

Chloe lifted her hand and ran it through her hair, licking her lips and preparing for this conversation. She wanted to say she was surprised it had come up so soon but this was Lucifer she was thinking about, the man knew what was happening before it even happened half the time. "Lucifer-"

"No, no. No business of mine and I didn't mean to intrude, it was simply on the table next to the bed. That you slept in last night. With me," he finished quietly as he stood and began to walk back into the house, a small limp hindering his movements.

She followed him back in the loft and to the bar where he was pulling a new bottle of scotch off the shelf and pouring himself a glass almost to the brim. "Lucifer, I thought you were dead. It took me forever to even try to move on. Dan was- Dan was there and it made Trixie happy but I-" A small groan left her, because really, why did she give Dan so many chances? The man had scorned her over and over, tried to ruin her relationship with Lucifer, and made job so much more stressful than it need be.

He never responded just shrugged one shoulder and nodded as if he completely understood, gulping down the burning liquid and quickly pouring himself another glass.

Chloe snatched the bottle away when he set it back down and glared. "So you aren't even going to talk to me? You're just going to try to drown yourself?" When he continued staring at the counter top making no move to speak she lost her patience. The stress of yesterday and today was just too much; having him here filling her senses with everything she had missed to badly was overwhelming. Everything about him was just so- not Dan, or anyone else she had ever met for that matter. "It's not my fault!" she shouted, more to herself than him. "What do you want from me? You were gone for months so I tried to move on, I didn't know if you were ever coming back! You were in Hell Lucifer, people don't come back from that!"

Maze burst though the elevator to see Chloe throwing her arms up and shouting at Lucifer, who looked to be barely holding it together as his hands began to tremble. She cursed herself; she should have stayed last night. Maybe it was too much to see Chloe right now, and vice versa. She stomped over but instead of screaming back or doing anything remotely violent she made sure Lucifer was all right before standing in front of him protectively and crossing her arms. "It's time for you to leave Decker."

Chloe's anger left her in an instant at the sight of the demon protecting Lucifer. From her. She was so focused on her pain, on her emotions that she hadn't even noticed how badly she was upsetting him. The man had literally been to Hell and back and here she was trying to convince herself and him that she had needed to move on. God she was such a bitch. And a liar. She wasn't over him, not in the slightest and Dan just happened to wear her down when she was emotionally compromised.

It was easy to act like everything was ok when he looked so normal but everything wasn't ok. She had reduced the man to a nervous wreck who couldn't even meet her eyes with only a few words, which never would have happened before. Lucifer could always meet her shout for shout; barb for barb, but that was before. "Lucifer-" she tried but Maze shook her head, not even giving the woman a chance.

"Goodbye Decker."

Chloe retreated to the bedroom and grabbed her shoes and phone and silently walked past the pair, Maze still staring her down and Lucifer now shaking uncontrollably. This was her fault. He was hurt and here she was just adding to it. Her finger pressed the button for the elevator and she looked over with sad eyes, "For what it's worth, I never stopped loving you."

As soon as the elevator closed Maze whipped around just in time to catch Lucifer before he collapsed. "You should be resting," she gently chided and slid to the floor with him.

He pulled her onto his lap and hugged her close, they weren't really an affectionate pair but in times of need they always had each other's backs. "I'm sitting on the floor Mazikeen, I'm not sure how much more restful I can be."

Maze rolled her eyes and smirked, lifting his head and looking closely at him, their noses almost touching. "You'll get past this, you're the Devil. You've suffered before, been cast down from Heaven, and always returned stronger than before. You're the Morningstar, and no one or thing can ever take that from you," she whispered vehemently.

"Maze," he choked out. "The things they did, they-"

"I know," she seethed, pulling him closer. "I know."

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Chloe got home and walked into her house where Dan was watching tv with Trixie. As soon as he saw her he jumped up and ran over to gather her in a hug, "Where have you been? We've been worried sick."

Wrong, everything was wrong again. The way his hands touched her, the feeling of his breath on her neck was too cool, his voice just so not- British. She didn't mean too but she shoved him away, she didn't want him touching her. She wanted-

God she had screwed up so badly. She knew how to deal with trauma victims; she had been trained in it yet it had all gone out the window today. She had snuck up on him, yelled at him, and cornered him behind the bar. No wonder he was petrified. How could she have been so stupid? He must hate her and she honestly wouldn't blame him, the man had literally died in her arms and she was treating it as if he had just decided to up and leave one day. He had been taken in the most painful way away from his life, his home, the people that cared about him and thrust into a place she couldn't even comprehend. It wasn't a choice, it never had been and the only reason he had even died was because he was protecting her.

She could have died.

Lucifer saved her life, allowed Trixie to grow up with a mom. He could have ignored what was happening around him and survived almost unscathed but he didn't. All for her.

The clarity was overwhelming and it almost crippled her. "Oh my God," she whispered and quickly walked out to the porch so Trixie wouldn't see her. "Oh my God," she cried again and jerked away when Dan tried to touch her in concern. Huge tears began falling down her face, her breathing hitching as she tried to breathe.

"Chloe, what the hell happened?"

She hurriedly wiped her eyes off with her sleeve and squared her shoulders, "We're not getting back together. It's over Dan."

Dan looked flabbergasted. "What? It's been two weeks; I thought everything was going pretty good. What happened last night that you stood me up and now this? Did someone hurt you? Is there someone else?"

That line alone perfectly summarized her and Dan's relationship. There wasn't any trust, hadn't been since he screwed her over the first time. There wasn't any respect, there wasn't really anything and even though she had tried again for the sake of Trixie this just wasn't now or ever going to happen. She didn't feel it was the right time to tell Dan about Lucifer, the man needed privacy, but her hesitation was answer enough for ex-husband.

"Seriously Chloe? We just started dating again and you're already moving on to someone else?"

Chloe blew out a breath, knowing she was doing the right thing. "Dan I'm sorry but we tried this before and it didn't work. We're not meant to be together and as for dating again, I haven't even kissed you. This was all just a mistake."

He ignored her explanation and brushed past her. "Screw you Chloe and the high horse you rode in on. Tell Trix I'll call her later. I hope your little tryst was worth it."

Instead of going after him she closed and locked the door and walked to the living room to plop down on the couch. Her arms wrapped around her daughter and she kissed the top of her head.

"Everything ok mommy? Trixie asked in concern.

"No baby, but it will be."

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lucifer stood tall in front of the mirror and fixed his jacket, his black eyes carefully roaming over his reflection looking for anything out of place. He grinned at his impeccable appearance, it felt good to be completely healed, all traces of Hell gone. His smile dimmed a little, all visible traces gone he supposed.

The last few days had been much harder than he anticipated. He was jumpy and skittish, quite and reserved and had awoken screaming more than once. It felt like he was trying to squeeze into an old suit that didn't quite fit anymore, trying to be his usual abrasive self was draining when forced. Tonight would be different though, he was ready to venture downstairs to Lux and begin to get his routine back on track. Hopefully within the next week he could even return to consulting on cases for the LAPD with Chloe, if they could get past this.

He swallowed thickly and forced down the lump currently sitting in his throat at the thought of his detective. The one thing that had carried him though everything was her, and now under the harsh light of day it seemed to have ended before it even truly began. He didn't give up easily though, never had, but he felt tired now. Why couldn't something just be easy for once? Lucifer let out a frustrated groan and rubbed his temples feeling a headache coming on.

Chloe stepped off the elevator and into the flat and couldn't help but smile at Lucifer dressed to the nines. His shoulders seemed to be a little more hunched than she remembered and his eyes moved much more sharply but other than that he seemed to be back to his old self. But she had thought that before and look where it got her. No, she would take cue's from him and act accordingly, no more pushing or anything that could remotely upset him.

With sure steps Lucifer walked towards the lift but froze at the sight in front of him. Chloe was standing just inside the loft wearing a flowing red dress that ended mid thigh and perfectly revealed her slender neck and toned arms. Her hair was mostly up and her makeup was subtle, not distracting from her beautiful face.

"Detective," he coughed out in surprise. "I wasn't aware you were stopping by."

Chloe dropped her clutch on the bar and approached him, stopping a respectable distance away. "Somebody looks nice tonight."

"Yes, well I must admit, I do clean up quite nicely. Maybe I could teach you a thing or two about how to dress yourself seeing as I've already taught you how to undress," he leered.

"Ignoring that statement," she huffed. "I was actually wondering if you had plans for tonight. I was hoping we could spend some time together. There's a few things I really need to say to you."

Lucifer face lit up and eyebrows rose, a small smile playing on his lips as he stepped closer to her. "Quite bold of you to assume you could just come here and that I wouldn't have plans, wouldn't you say? Women and men have been practically pounding down my door."

Chloe nodded as if thinking about his words, "Well it's a good thing there's no one here then. I'd hate to break a heel kicking someone's ass."

The Devil chuckled and smiled softly down at her, his fingers grabbing a lock of hair and tucking it behind her ear to better see her face. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her but he supposed she wasn't his anymore and made himself take a step back. He didn't respect the Douche in the slightest but he did respect Chloe and her choices, no matter how asinine they were.

Self-loathing filled Chloe and she figured he must still be upset about the other day. "Come on, I'll treat you to a drink downstairs. I know the owner," she winked.

Maze watched the pair from behind the bar with a careful eye, if Chloe upset him again the bitch was as good as dead. They both slid onto barstools at the very end of the bar and the demon poured them drinks all while glaring at the blonde the entire time.

"I'm sorry," she instantly blurted and blushed at her outburst. Lucifer's expression was blank, not even a hint of what he was thinking or feeling. "I don't even know what I was doing or saying but I just wanted to say I'm sorry. There's no excuse for how I acted and you deserve better than that. If you want to, I don't know, yell at me or shove me off the barstool you can. No retribution."

Lucifer didn't respond but his eyes sparkled with amusement.

"And I dumped Dan, again," she continued. "For the second, no third, fourth? time. I don't know what I was thinking, he's such a terrible husband and it was a selfish mistake that I wish I could just erase."

Lucifer nodded slowly, "Can't argue there and not now but another time I might just take you up on that knocking you off the barstool bit. I mean, it was offered. So tell me has he grown any, or is this as good as it gets for him?"

She tried and failed to suppress a giggle at her ex's expense and gently whacked his arm. "Stop, not everyone can be as freakishly tall as you are."

"The word you're looking for is exquisitely and no, most mortals are not blessed with such things," he grinned as he sipped his drink. It felt good to banter with this woman again, this beautiful creature who somehow seemed to be drawn to him even without his thrawl.

The pair talked and laughed for hours until the club finally closed and even then all they did was move to the piano bench with tumblers and a bottle. His hands glided effortlessly over the keys and Chloe, who had long ago lost her heels along with his jacket sat next to him happily moving to the notes and singing just a hair off key.

In the middle of the fourth song Lucifer suddenly turned and gently shoved her backwards making her fall off the bench, unexpectedly grabbing onto him on her way down and dragging him along. The pair descended into a laughing fit before just staring at the ceiling with smiles adorning both their faces. "I can't believe you did that!" Chloe snorted and sat up to grab the bench and attempt to stand, which was difficult after consuming to much alcohol.

"Well I must say, I feel much better now."

Lucifer stood easily, much less intoxicated than his companion thanks to his increased metabolism, and pulled her to a standing position. She stumbled into him and wrapped her arms around his neck as she gazed up at him in wonder. He was here, really here. Every lash still perfectly housed his onyx colored eyes and every freckle was still splashed across his nose. Knowing what she did now she wondered how she had ever doubted that he was really from Heaven, because as corny as it sounded he seriously looked as if he was handmade by God. The perfect mixture of a man and a child, from the stubble on his jaw to the way his ears adorably stuck out.

Lucifer would have given anything to know her thoughts, damn him not actually being a Jedi. Chloe had been staring at his face for over a minute now, silent and wearing a tiny smile as her eyes seemed to be taking in every detail. He couldn't handle it much longer, her being so close and staring at him with so much adoration. It wasn't like it was with other humans, they always had a far away look in their eyes, almost mesmerized at a subconscious level by his true self but Chloe's eyes were sharp and focused.

There was no hesitation as he promptly dropped his head and pressed his lips to hers, his entire body relaxing when she leaned into it. His hands caressed every inch of skin he could reach, craving the feeling of her soft skin that he had been deprived of for so long. She tasted exactly like he remembered, made tiny mewls that made his gut coil and seemed to fit so perfectly against him.

Chloe couldn't get close enough to him; she needed more; more skin, more friction, more everything. Her hands slid across his neck and up into his hair, pulling slightly and pinching the tips of his ears just like she knew he liked. When his hands slid down her back and lifted her effortlessly she wrapped her legs around his narrow hips and held him closer.

Lucifer couldn't describe how good this felt, to be lost in her, to be back with her. His mind was blank to everything except the woman in front of him and it felt wonderful. With practiced movements he sat her down on a nearby table and began trailing kisses and nips down her neck, focusing on her pulse point. It was heaven being back, being here with her.

Chloe was lost to the feelings of lust filling her and her hands fumbled with his belt as she sucked on an earlobe. "I love you," she panted in his ear, needing him to know how important he was to her. "I'm sorry, for all of it. I love you so damn much."

Lucifer met her eyes and smiled a real honest to God, no hidden meaning, pure intentions smile before reclaiming her lips.

Her nimble fingers continued their ministrations, the button was easy enough as was the zipper and she bit her lip in anticipation for what was next. As soon as her hand wormed its way under his slacks and gripped him firmly though he shoved her away and flew backwards with wide eyes. His terrified expression cleared her drunk and sex addled mind in a heartbeat. "Lucifer?"

The Devil forced a chuckle and fixed his shirt and slacks, grabbing the bottle off the piano and pouring himself another glass. "What kind of man would I be if I put out on the first date?"

Something was wrong but she couldn't figure out what. Everything had been going great, more than great actually but something had set him off. She'd give him time and space and whatever else he needed to heal from whatever he had experienced. "Payback for all the months I gave you blue balls huh?" Chloe stood and fixed her dress, "One more song before I go home?"

Lucifer relaxed instantly and his smile became much more genuine as he sat back down at the piano. "Of course love."


	16. Devil's Haircut

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Devil's Haircut by Beck

"Maze?"

"Hmm?"

"Where's my brother?"

"Did you cut your hair?" she questioned with an arched brow as he dropped onto a barstool across from her inside Lux.

"Nice deflection, now answer the question," he bristled.

The demon sucked in her bottom lip and bit it, pausing as she wiped down the bar before opening. "In Hell," she finally answered and returned to her previous task. "Where he belongs," she added with a note of finality.

"You- you left him there?" he blanched. "Ho- wh-" he tried before rubbing his hands up and down his face, trying to grasp this. "I had a strong suspicion but- What happened, when you came for me?"

Maze had known this would come up at some point but she didn't really see the issue here, and it had been over a week that he'd been back. "Found a Pentecostal coin, Amenadiel came with, got you out, put him in, and brought you back."

Lucifer's stomach churned at the news. "Well that's quite an abridged version as I imagine there's more to it than that but, why? I mean yes he did all but stab me in the back but-"

"He deserved it," she growled, turning and slamming her hands down on the counter. "It was he who caused all of this, he deserves to be punished."

"Maze, that's not-"

"You still defend him after everything he's done? He killed you Lucifer. It was he who brought Afriel here, who stood by and did nothing, who left you in Hell while he returned to Heaven. He deserves the darkest pits, the worst torture."

"Mazik-"

"I did what was needed!"

Lucifer's eyes flashed red, his voice deafening as he stood tall. "Stop interrupting me Mazikeen, you would do well to remember your place! It is I who punish and I will deal the consequences I see fit!" he shouted, his face flickering.

Maze leaned back and smirked, "Nice to see you're still in there somewhere, now how to you want to bust him out?"

Confusion colored the Devil's face at her change in demeanor before he shot her a disgruntled look, a small smile playing on his lips. "Perhaps I needed that. I'll try to reach one of my other siblings, see if they can do something."

"Like they did for you?" she asked in a low voice.

She expected a glare, a pang of pain, some negative reaction but instead she got a thoughtful expression and a far away look. "First off low blow Maze, low blow. Secondly they gave you the coin to come for me, so I imagine they'll get him out quite quickly."

"What?" she asked in confusion before crossing her arms defensively. "I found that coin, me! I searched and searched and finally found a lead that panned out."

Lucifer stood and grabbed his keys, needing a little air. "I had the last coin, I made sure of it by destroying every single other one so no one would ever be able to escape. That coin you found didn't come from the original six, I can promise you that." He smiled sarcastically and began to leave, "I suppose Dad figured I had suffered enough."

Once outside Lucifer leaned against the outside of the building and lit a cigarette before walking to his car. He paused before entering and begrudgingly looked at the Heaven's. "I hope you're not expecting thanks for what you did, forty years is a tad excessive. Not sure what I did to piss you off but congrats, you win again as always. Anyway little bro's down there, courtesy of me and mine so if you want him, go get him yourself you bastard."

Satisfied he'd fulfilled his familial obligations he climbed in and pulled out onto the boulevard, no destination in mind. So dear old dad had decided to help him, well isn't that nice of him. It would have been a jolly bit nicer if he had done that before he was down there for seeming ever suffering terrible things that he still wasn't even remotely ready to deal with but hey, at least they appeared to be on speaking terms now. Maybe in a few more millennia he'll actually bless him with a few words instead of poorly constructed passive aggressiveness.

Maybe it was one of his brothers or sisters then? Not probable, only a handful out of all of them even acknowledged his existence other than the big bad boogie-man. Not that he cared, no it was their loss not his.

He pulled over and slid down in his seat staring at the stars above him and let out a defeated sigh. "No," he suddenly said to himself and held up his hands and shook his head. No, he was not going to fall into some pathetic existential crises. Screw them, screw every single one of those feather covered arseholes. He never needed or wanted them before and that wasn't about to change. His dad was a douche and his siblings were all so far up his ass they haven't even discovered if he's made the sun yet. The whole lot could choke on their righteousness and wither.

"Lucifer?"

The Devil startled and whipped around to see Chloe staring at him with amusement, her hands stuffed in her back pockets. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack? Would you stop sneaking about, I'm starting to think you're doing this on purpose!"

"I've been standing here for five minutes watching you have a conversation with yourself. I can leave if you want and let you finish it here in front of my house," she snarked.

He hadn't even realized he had driven here and peeked behind her to confirm he was indeed in front of her house. "Ah, so I am. Well since I'm here I suppose I'll come in for a bit, wouldn't want to deprive you of my company."

"No, wouldn't want that," she agreed, struggling to keep her face straight.

Lucifer's eyes narrowed as he exited the car, "Many a person would be honored to be in my presence."

"Of course." She waited until he was next to her and threaded her arm through his as they crossed the front yard. "Speaking of, you ready for tomorrow? First day back on the job?"

He was saved from answering by a small blur that firmly attached itself to his midsection and wouldn't let go.

"Lucifer! You're back!" Trixie squealed excitedly in the entryway.

Lucifer held up his arms and tried to dislodge her with sheer power of will but alas it didn't work. "Yes I'm back from-" he drew it out and looked to Chloe for assistance. He wasn't completely obtuse when it came to children; he just preferred to keep them at a very good distance, fifty feet or more was the preferred.

"London," Chloe assisted.

"Right," he agreed with an eye roll. "I'm back from London, because anyone with an English accent must be from London." Seeing the detective wasn't going to rescue him this time he pursed his lips and patted the child on the head. "Alright, you've had your fun. I demand you release me at once."

Trixie didn't however and tugged on his jacket sleeve and waved him down lower. He reluctantly lowered himself to his knees and stared at her expectantly. "Alright, you've literally got the Devil on his knees. What's so important?"

His eyes widened when he found himself in an actual hug from the child, her little arms wrapped around his neck and her tiny body practically on top of him. He despised children, they were just terribly vile little things but he allowed the hug and after a moment returned it. Children were so unbearably innocent; their tiny souls so bright it was blinding but damn if he didn't feel a bit better in her embrace.

"Don't ever leave again, mommy and I were sad," she whispered into his ear before pulling back and happily skipping away leaving Lucifer to smooth down his jacket as he stood and arch a brow at Chloe's laugh.

"She missed you a lot, apparently you're her best friend."

"Of course I am, everyone loves me," he agreed shakily, trying to gather himself from that odd and new interaction.

"Right. Wait, why do you have an English accent? And how are you siblings different ethnicities?" she asked curiously, purposely not commenting on the hug.

Lucifer stared at her dumbly, "Well, for one there's no such thing as color and gender and all that nonsense, you humans make a big fuss about what people's genitals look like and how they tan for some reason. As for the question though I really don't know, I suppose dad just made us in random assortment and the humans in our image. You know, sort of like a divine Mr. Potato Head kit."

Chloe laughed, "So you were the first with the accent?"

He smirked, pride on his face. "My dear, I was the first everything."

It was still surreal to have conversations such as these but she found speaking about it often was the best way to not only get to know the real him but also to continue to deal with the fact that he was literally the Devil.

Standing on her tippy toes she reached up and ran her fingers through his hair on the very top of his head. "You cut your hair."

"Yes I was getting quite bored with the same old thing." He suddenly looked almost embarrassed, "Do you like it?"

Questions like that were the leftovers from Hell, little peeks of vulnerability popping up at random times. She knew it was important to support him but at the same time give him his confidence back. "Do you?"

He carelessly ran a hand over the top and much shorter sides, "Yes I think so."

"Me too," she smiled. Hoping she wasn't pushing too much too soon but wanting desperately to be near him she asked, "Did you want to stay over tonight?"

Lucifer looked nervous, then pleased, then nervous again before answering in an uncharacteristically timid voice, "I'd like that." As Chloe took care of the house and got Trixie settled in for bed Lucifer quietly ascended the stairs deep in thought. Maybe it had been a mistake to agree, he wasn't ready for this level of intimacy. He honestly hadn't even undressed in front of her since he came back.

"You can go if you'd be more comfortable," Chloe offered evenly from the doorway, interrupting his internal monologue.

Lucifer tried for nonchalance but seemed to be failing terribly if her expression was any indication. Feeling childish at allowing his emotions to control him he pushed everything away. "I'll stay."

Chloe immediately began pulling pillows off the bed and walked to the bathroom to brush her teeth and change into a light camisole to sleep in. She knew this was dangerous territory that could either help them take one step forward or two steps back.

Deep down, she knew why he was acting this way, the lack of true intimacy and the refusal to be touched in certain ways but she couldn't bring herself to say it or ask him. It wasn't her place to put him on the spot, all she could do was give him time and be there when he did want to talk about it. Simply for the fact that he came back mostly intact mentally and emotionally was a testament to how strong he really was.

Lucifer was unbuttoning his shirt so slowly that Chloe wondered if he'd even get any sleep by the time he was done but still she didn't say a word. Continuing her nightly routine she clicked on her lamp and turned off the light before climbing in bed and after getting seated against the headboard flipped open a magazine.

It was several minutes of page turning later that the blanket finally moved and a weight settled next to her but neither touched or spoke, afraid to ruin the moment.

She was almost at the end of the magazine when she finally felt him move closer and to her pleasure laid his head on her lap, his body curling against hers. Still not fully acknowledging him she casually released her right hand from the glossy paperback and placed it on his head, her nails gently scratching his scalp through his soft hair until his breathing evened out.

Finally free to fully relax she quietly placed her magazine on the end table and looked down at him. This wasn't Lucifer, this was a mere shadow of the man. He looked small, which was saying something, but it wasn't so much about his height as much of an altered perception. It was almost like he was trying to run under the radar, giving just enough of himself to avoid suspicion but silently dealing with his numerous mental scars.

Her feather light touch trailed down his neck and across his shoulder and arm before covering them so they wouldn't get cold. This had been a big step, having skin to skin contact, and she could only hope that this would move him forward and not backward. Hoping not to jar him enough that he would fully wake she clicked off the lamp and tried to shimmy down under the covers, freezing when he shifted and began to move away. Not willing to give up on this moment she firmly placed her hand on the side of his head and pulled him back down, his head on her chest over her heart. The effect was instantaneous and she smiled into the darkness at her small success.

"Sleep well Lucifer."

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What do we got?" Chloe barked at the uniform taping off the scene in front of her.

"Latino female, two gsw's to the back. Two witnesses."

Lucifer followed closely behind her, his eyes excitedly scanning his surroundings but for once staying silent and not blurting out his every thought. This was his first case back, he would take it slow. For now.

Officers were milling about, lights flashing, and of course the ever present crowd watching in morbid fascination. All that faded away when they entered the building and walked down a hallway to the fire escape. The victim was young with long jet-black hair and wearing what seemed to be nurse's attire.

The M.E. was just finishing looking her over with a clinical eye and slipped off his gloves. "I'll know more once we get the vic to the morgue but the gsw's seem to be cause of death. She has bruising along her wrists, hips, and thighs indicating sexual assault. I'll let you know more when I know."

Chloe shook her head, "What was she doing in the stairwell when the elevator works just fine? And why aren't there any footprints or marks from the assault?"

Lucifer's mouth was dry, his pulse quickening but of course no one knew that. He still kept a straight face despite what he was feeling, kept breathing despite feeling crippling anxiety. He wanted to tell Chloe what happened, wanted her to understand why he was having such a hard time getting over Hell, why he was continuously rebuffing her advances but he just couldn't seem to get the words out. In fact, he realized, he hadn't spoken to anyone about it at all. Hadn't even said the word out loud. Maze knew but only from an outsiders perspective, which was different.

"You ok?" Chloe asked in concern. He had been unusually quite since they arrived.

"Of course love," he deflected. "Shall we check her apartment?"

He followed her up the stairs and took the time to appreciate the view from behind, just looking at the woman got him half hard but he couldn't seem to be able to let her touch him. Being the gentleman he was he made sure Chloe was always taken care of but it was different, he wanted to partake in sins of the flesh with her. Sex with Chloe was something he had never experienced before, and that was saying something. It wasn't just the physical act, which was way past amazing, but there was something else. It was like everything just felt right in the world, like all of his transgressions were forgiven, like he couldn't get close enough. It wasn't even just during sex either it was all the time. All he wanted was to be with her, support her, lo-

Lucifer froze, his jaw slack.

Somewhere someone was laughing at his outright ignorance and stunted emotional maturity and he had a strong suspicion it was the entire fucking universe.

He was in love with Chloe Decker.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You cut your hair."

Lucifer shot Dr. Martin a flat look from his place against the wall outside her office. "Bloody hell, what is it with all you women? Yes I've gotten a haircut, is it really that amazing? Best prepare yourself because I can also chew bubble gum and spell my own name."

"It looks good, yo- you look good. Well I mean, you always look good bu-," Linda shook her head to clear her thoughts, "Focusing. It's been a while since I last saw you, months really without a word. I've been concerned."

"About me?" he asked in confusion before waving it off. "Any who I need to speak with you. Now."

Linda stuck her key into the door and twisted before pushing it open, Lucifer following her inside. "I have a patient coming in ten minutes, I can schedule you for some time tomorrow."

As expected Lucifer looked appalled at being denied but something on his face must have shown, his mask slipping for a moment because Dr. Martin suddenly squinted closely at him. Lucifer tried not to fidget under her intense stare and was reminded of a bug under a microscope. A really handsome bug.

"Something happened," she stated. "I'll cancel my eleven o'clock, sit down." A quick phone call later the pair assumed their regular positions and to Linda's concern Lucifer didn't seem to want to start the conversation. She watched his gaze flitter over everything that he had seen numerous times and how he sat much more ridged than normal. This wasn't anger, this was stress. "I haven't seen you in quite a long time, can I ask where you've been?"

Lucifer picked at a spot on the couch where the thread was barely beginning to unravel, his eyes looking closely at it and not at the rooms other occupant. "Hell."

Her eyebrows shot up, "Hell? And since you're the Devil," she tried to reason, "Does that mean you went home?"

"Yes I suppose so," he agreed irritably.

She nodded, "And how did that go? Was your family there?"

"No," he bit out with surprising animosity. "Dad kicked me out eons ago and none of my siblings acknowledge me. They all blame me for everything wrong in the world." He threw up his hands in exasperation, "As if it's my fault, as if I can somehow control the very fates. Which I cannot, believe me I've tried. The whole lot has no self-responsibility."

Linda scribbled a few notes and adjusted her glasses. "Are all your siblings younger than you?"

"Yes," he answered skeptically.

"Maybe in some way you've been enabling them, allowing them to blame you and forcing you to shoulder the burden. Does that sound correct?" she pressed.

Lucifer rolled his eyes, "I don't know, it doesn't matter."

"Alright," she ground out, the man was ridiculously stubborn. "I've heard you talk about your dad, what about your mother?"

He shook his head, "No such thing."

Linda's eyebrows shot up, "So you've never met her. Where you adopted?"

"No I wasn't bloody adopted! Are you daft? I told you I'm the Devil, I only have a father. There is no mother."

Dr. Martin threw her hands up in the air in exasperation, "So what Lucifer? You just spontaneously appeared full grown?"

He shrugged, "Yes, that's about right."

_Why do I even try? _"All right, we're getting off track here. What made you decide to go home?"__

"I was forced to by a sibling. She and my brother decided it was time for me to return 'home' as you call it and took the choice away from me," he seethed, his hand subconsciously rubbing across his stomach at where he had been attacked.

"How did it make you feel, to not have control over that?"

"Terrible!" he shouted, springing to his feet to pace around the room. "My brother betrayed me, looked me right in the eye and never said a word about what he was doing. I mean the audacity! The- the wrongness of it is ridiculous! I'm the one that supposedly lies yet it's all he seems to do!"

"You're hurt, you have a right to be. Did you speak to him about how his actions are affecting you?" she asked calmly.

Lucifer shook his head and dropped back down on the couch, kicking up his feet and staring at the ceiling. "Not really, we didn't have much time to speak before I di- left. Then I wasn't completely coherent when we saw each other after that."

"Coherent," she latched on to. "Does that mean alcohol? Drugs? Emotionally?"

"Tortured," he replied, his tone flat.

Linda nodded, "That's quite a word choice, what made you feel tortured?"

Lucifer turned his head to stare at her with a petulant scowl. "Well I'd have to say the beatings gave me the first clue, although if there was any confusion it was cleared up when they broke my fingers and stabbed me repeatedly."

Dr. Martin instantly leaned forward, her notebook dropping to the floor and her hands rising to clasp in front of her face. "Lucifer, help me here. There are always metaphors that we work around but is this a realistic statement? Were you in fact, physically tortured?" His expression was enough and she shook her head in disbelief, this man was drawn to danger like a moth to a flame. Other than the mob did people even get tortured these days? Focus Linda. "You seem to have recovered physically. Is that why you came to see me? Do you feel you were emotionally compromised as well?"

Lucifer was standing before she could even comprehend he had moved, his anger palpable and his fists clenched. If it was anyone else she would be nervous but she knew he would never harm her, he was just a very passionate man.

"Well I would bloody think so!" he shouted. "Four months will do that to a person don't you think? Then as if the beatings weren't enough that had to hurt me even worse, take away the last shred of dignity I was holding onto. Why on earth do I even come here? I'm waiting for you to fix me and you haven't done a blasted thing!"

Linda stood abruptly and matched his stance and tone, "It takes time Lucifer you know that!"

"I don't have time Linda, I can't even have sex with the woman I love!"

"Now you're in love? How the hell am I supposed to 'fix' you when I don't even know that the hell you're talking about half the time?" she argued. "Who the hell even tortured you, are you going to tell me you joined the mob recently? A fight club? Heaven, Hell, angels, devils. Not to mention the sexual comments that you use to deflect every single time we get close to something!" And then it clicked, what he was trying to say without actually saying it. He hadn't made a single sexual joke since arriving, he was standoffish, he had changed his physical appearance.

Dr. Martin blew out a long breath to gather herself, with Lucifer it seemed her professionalism flew out the window. It pained her to even ask but all the signs were there and once again she wondered what he had gotten into these last few months. "Lucifer," she asked carefully, staring up at the man still glaring at her. "We established you were physically assaulted, were you sexually as well?"

"We're done here," he growled and stormed out the door, slamming it behind him and letting out a frustrated scream in the hallway.


	17. Lost Boy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a really hard time figuring out where I wanted this chapter to go but once I did it was actually pretty fun to write. Enjoy!
> 
> Song: Lost Boy by Ruth B

"No Chloe, I'm not being deliberately obtuse. I simply don't understand the reasoning behind stealing an offspring away from it's creator, murdering the fetus, and then subjecting it to extreme temperatures before throwing some salt on it and ingesting it! I refuse to partake in this barbaric practice!"

Chloe tried, she really tried to not laugh but he was just so serious and offended. "Lucifer, all I'm saying is that cooking breakfast on weekends is fun and that you should cook it with me. Plus eggs are good."

The Devil looked extremely skeptical. "I've seen you and your offspring eat them, but I have no desire. I do have morals you know."

"Fine," she relented. "Can you handle making toast?"

His eyes narrowed as he forcefully grabbed the loaf of bread off the counter and stuck two pieces in the toaster before just staring at it.

Chloe pointed to the front and whispered, "You have to press down the little lever." She didn't expect to be beaned by a piece of bread a moment later and turned to look at him incredulously. "Did you just throw that at me?"

Lucifer smirked; looking entirely too pleased with himself before ducking when Chloe picked it up and threw it back, the offending item soaring by his left ear. Knowing what was coming next he surged forward and grabbed her, twisting her away from the egg carton. "Don't you dare."

"How'd you know I was going to throw one?" she scoffed. "Maybe I was going to be the bigger person and just get back to breakfast."

Lucifer looked down at her in his arms and took in the mischievous glint in her eyes. Why couldn't he seem to tell her how he felt, return the words that she shared so freely with him? Rejection, that was why. His father had thrown his love and devotion right back in his face and that crippled him for thousands of years, even to this day it affected him. Could he handle it if Chloe did the same? Humans fell in and out of love all the time, the word honestly seemed to have no meaning to them.

"Something you'd like to share?" she asked curiously at his far away expression.

"I-" he began before gritting his teeth at his cowardice. "I came to a realization in recent days and I'm having trouble vocalizing it for some blasted reason."

Chloe held her breath, her eyes widening as she nodded in encouragement, whatever he was going to say was important. The man always shared his thoughts, if you wanted to hear them or not.

"Chloe," he began, his face serious. "I l-"

The shrill sound of a cell phone cut him off and Lucifer released Chloe and let his head fall back, a frustrated sigh leaving him as he stared at the ceiling in quite defeat. It was true, apparently the universe hated him.

Chloe answered the phone, and watched Lucifer stare hard at the wall, his arms crossed and brows pinched. Whatever he was wanting to say was gone and he now seemed to be debating something internally. She wanted to throw the phone down the drain and turn on the disposal but that would only lead to more problems so she walked to the living room and listened to the call. Pressing the end button she turned to tell him what the call was about but the room was empty.

Lucifer was gone.

The man in question walked down the sidewalk at a steady pace, hands stuffed in his pockets and stormy expression directed to the ground. Perhaps this was for the best, only pain could come of it anyway. It was easy to forget who he was, what he was, when he was with her but that wasn't a good thing. What was he anyway? Nothing good.

He had always been the black sheep, the one who argued and questioned things that were supposed to be only accepted. Obviously his dad didn't think highly of him, which hurt, and his entire family had disowned him. History hated him, humans hated him, and apparently every one in Hell hated him. Was there some major character flaw that he was just completely ignorant to? Was he honestly such a terrible thing that no one wanted to be associated with him? Chloe seemed to prefer his company but how long would that last, eventually she would see him for what he was. The woman was no fool.

A fallen angel, part demon, and definitely not human. He wasn't really anything, just bits and broken pieces smashed together to form _Lucifer _. Heaven didn't want him, Hell wanted to destroy him, and the humans hated him. For the first time since his fall Lucifer felt truly alone, a scared little boy just trying to find his place.__

The sound of feather's met his ears and he tensed, now who did they send and why? He could defend himself if need be but the question was, would he? Maybe he deserved the punishment, the loathing, the everything. Perhaps he should have just allowed Afriel to finish the job.

"Luci, long time no see."

Lucifer spun with wide eyes, "Amenadiel. You're back." At the other angel's nod he glanced around at where he was and if there were any humans present. An old industrial part of town and not a single soul to see. "Seems your rescue was a bit quicker than mine," he pried carefully.

The angel looked like he wanted to say something in response but refrained. "I just wanted to tell you that there's no hard feelings. I deserved it, I betrayed you. I'm sorry that you suffered because of me."

"That's great, thanks bro. Thanks for not blaming me for _your fucking mistake! _" he shouted. This was just too much, everything was just too much. "How long? How long were you down there before they came?"__

Amenadiel sighed and stepped closer, his brows pulling together in confusion when Lucifer stepped back instead of forward. He never backed down. "It doesn't matter brother, we're both back now. I'd like us to try to move past this. I've missed you severely and truly feel terrible for everything that happened."

"You didn't miss me you bald headed arse, you'd have to care about something to miss it! We got to a point where we could tolerate each other, which congrats that's more than any of the others can say," he spat. "You never wanted to be my brother, or I yours."

"Luci, there's no need for dramatics," he scoffed.

"How bloody long were you down there!" Lucifer screamed, his fists clenched at his sides. Lucifer panted, adrenaline coursing through him while Amenadiel simply stood with his expression blank.

"About an hour."

An hour. By the time the demons even realized what had happened he had been rescued, maybe sporting a few bruises from some gung-ho demons. Heaven pulled him out immediately because an angel doesn't belong in Hell. They instantly dropped everything to rescue him. It wasn't fair, but then again nothing ever is.

This, this was the nail in the coffin. The proof that everything that happened to him will continue to happen because his father was God and God decided what he wanted to happen and apparently he wanted his son to burn. His dad hated him, and the worst part was he didn't even know why.

He hadn't even realized he was shaking until Amenadiel placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. It was pure instinct that made him grab the object and twist it before punching the current source of his anger in the face as hard as he could. And then he couldn't stop.

Amenadiel fell backwards and tried to protect himself from the continued assault. Punches continued to the side of his head and vicious kicks to his ribs made him grunt in pain. When his wings appeared Lucifer grabbed on to the appendages and ripped large chunks of feathers out, his eyes glowing red as he tried to inflict as much pain as possible. "Oh come on! Are you even trying?" Lucifer goaded as he smashed a few bones in his fist.

Finding an opening the dark skinned angel finally was able to fully stand up and punched his brother back, taking satisfaction that his nose broke instantly. He couldn't give an inch, couldn't even try to get back because Lucifer wasn't stopping. He was like an animal, no orchestrated attacks, only instinct.

The pair continued to fight and halfway though Amenadiel realized that this wasn't one of their regular scuffles, this was a knock down drag out. There was a very good chance only one of them was going to survive this. With a renewed sense of urgency he tried to use what was left of his damaged wings to gain the upper hand, which worked when he broke one of Lucifer's arms. Finally able to get more hits in he fought harder until the moment arrived that he knew was coming. Lucifer was lying bloody and broken on the street still giving everything he had with Amenadiel on top of him, punching him repeatedly in the head, blood splattering onto the pavement.

"You don't have the balls to do it!" Lucifer spat. "Maze screwed you out of pity."

Amenadiel raised his fist, the last punch that would finish this once and for all. An angel directly killing an angel meant no Heaven, no Hell, no nothing. Lucifer would disappear into the void, would cease to exist any longer. Everything in him was telling him to do it but there was something that just wasn't right about this.

"Do it!" Lucifer screamed suddenly, his eyes wild. "Just fucking do it!"

Lucifer had always beaten him in a fight, they were usually close but Lucifer could always pull it in his favor at the very end. Even without his wings he was still an arch angel, the very first one in fact meaning he had power that the others could only dream of. Even when their father had cast him out he still remained stronger than all the rest. Yet here he was, on the ground. Losing.

"Do you want me to kill you?" Amenadiel questioned, his voice filled with confusion and pain.

Lucifer just spat in his face, which didn't exactly help him with his decision. "You finally got me, after all these years," he sneered, blood staining his teeth and covering his tongue. "Don't tell me you're going to choke now? Just do it!" he screamed again.

Amenadiel fell back, horror on his face. "You want me to kill you. This is you trying to kill yourself."

Lucifer rolled onto his side and tried to push himself up, which was proving difficult with only one arm. He finally forced himself to a sitting position and stared dejectedly at the ground covered in his blood. "Just think of it as a mercy killing," he mumbled.

The other angel scooted over and sat next to him, his arm across his shoulders. "What happened to you Luci? You've completely changed. How can I help you brother?"

He didn't even know what to say so he laid back down and closed his eyes, wishing the ground would swallow him whole and tried to ignore that his brother's hand was still on his shoulder. "Hell happened you twat. You did a very bad thing and you should feel bad."

Amenadiel smiled, there he was. The part everyone loved to hate was still there, deep buried. He just had to figure out how to get him back to his normal sarcastic self. "If it makes you feel better you did quite a bit of damage to my wings."

Lucifer wiped the blood from over his eyes and glanced at the broken wings, "They'll heal, or if not I can have Maze cut them off. She's had practice now so it shouldn't be such a hack job."

"I think I'll pass," he chuckled and looked at his brother's broken arm. "Let me set your arm before it heals."

Lucifer grabbed it himself and twisted, grimacing as the bones went back into place. "I can do it myself and I'd like you to stop touching me now, it's getting creepy." Silence filled the space between them before Lucifer side-eyed him. "You know you only won because I allowed it."

"As much as I want to call you a liar, I can't. Maybe one day."

"Doubtful, you're too much of a lunkhead," he argued, wiping off his face with his jacket. When it fell quite again he blurted, "I'm in love now," with a shy smile on his lips.

Amenadiel couldn't help but smile back, "The Decker woman?" At his brother's nod he clapped him on the back before pulling away when Lucifer winced in pain. "About time you finally grew up."

"Oh screw you," he snapped without any real bite as he tried to stand. "Now look at me, I look like some homeless person."

"That got the crap beat out of him," Amenadiel smirked.

Lucifer rolled his eyes as the two began to walk towards the club, "Stop being a nancy and use your big boy words."

"Shit."

"There you go, and I hope you don't think this means you're forgiven," the dark haired man groused.

Amenadiel watched his older brother out of the corner of his eye and wondered if he should even bring up what he was about to. Lucifer had never been forthcoming with anything but this was something that couldn't be ignored. "I did something."

"The hell Amenadiel!" Lucifer cried and shoved him hard. "I don't even want to ask what you did now, you get into more trouble than I do!" At his brother's contrite expression he groaned. "Well let's hear it."

"I killed Beleth and Carnivea. Slowly and painfully."

The Devil slowed his pace until he came to a stop, his eyes weary. "So you know. I suppose all of Heaven does then. I'm sure they're all rejoicing."

"They don't hate you Luci, they fear you. You're an unknown factor that acts irrationally, and as you know to them that's very frightening. All they know is that you went back to Hell because of one of theirs, I only know because Beleth was taunting me while I was there. When they freed me I stayed behind to eliminate the two demons." He cautiously stepped forward, afraid one wrong move would make Lucifer run. "I know those should have been your kills but I just couldn't allow them to exist any longer than they already had."

The Devil nodded to show he was listening but he wasn't exactly sure how to take this news. He began walking again and was thankful that his brother didn't push him to share his thoughts and only walked beside him in a silent show of support. They were dead, in the void now and a weight that had been resting on his mind seemed to lessen. He doubted they died as painfully as they could have at his hands but he wasn't strong enough to do it himself so his brother had. His brother at least tried to right his wrong. "Why did you leave me down there so long? You could have entered Hell much quicker than it took Maze."

"Because I honestly thought you would be fine. Maze spoke of an uprising but you've always had everything under control, it was ignorance on my part. It seems all I do is harm you," he finished, self-loathing obvious in his tone.

Lucifer snorted, "With a brother like you I don't need enemies. I'm quite sure you've done more damage in the last year than others have done in a life time."

"At least I've been a constant," he tried.

A laugh echoed off the abandoned buildings around them. "Yes I suppose you have."

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Now what happened to you?" Dr. Martin questioned in exasperation as she took in Lucifer's two black eyes and bruised knuckles.

Lucifer pursed his lips, "Are you really asking or just trying to showcase how incompetent I am to be a functional member of society?"

Linda rolled her eyes and grabbed her notebook before dropping into her chair. "I wasn't sure I was going to see you for a while after out last session. It ended on a very emotional note."

"Yes, it did," Lucifer agreed, dropping down onto the couch and kicking his feet up on the coffee table. Neither spoke for a long stretch of time, Linda waiting while Lucifer seemed to be warring with himself.

Finally Linda decided to just go for it, the man seemed to respect honesty and this issue needed to be addressed before it festered and grew into something else. "Do you remember the question I asked before you left?"

"Yes."

"And?"

He could just not answer, deflect, avoid, all the things he was exceptionally good at but he knew he needed to tell someone, anyone at this point even though everyone seemed to know. "We both know the answer."

Dr. Martin nodded, "I agree but I need you to say it, out loud. To admit what happened to you. By you trying to suppress it you're giving it power, power over you."

"Fine. I was-" he broke off. The word just made it so real. His tongue felt heavy in his mouth, everything felt sluggish and thick. It was only a word but he just couldn't seem to say it. To say it was to admit it and admitting it made it a weakness, right?

Seeing he was still struggling Linda walked over and sat next to him on the couch. "I know you can do this. We have to address this Lucifer, do you see what this has done and continues to do to your self-worth?"

She had a point. He had never before felt such self-hate, had never before doubted himself or his decisions. It was a terrible feeling questioning one's self, especially for him. He had always done what he pleases but now, now he barely even knew what he wanted. Had it really gotten that bad? Of course it had. He couldn't even function properly without either having a breakdown or punching people.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" he scoffed, not really wanting a response from anyone. How had he allowed it to get this bad? He was the Goddamned Devil! He didn't run from things, didn't fear them. He created fear, he's the one that tortures, the one that creates nightmares.

"Are- are we having a breakthrough?" Linda questioned. "It's hard to tell because it all seems to be in your head but it looks like something is happening."

Lucifer turned to look at her, his eyes brighter and smile more real than it had been since he had gotten back. He could do this, it wouldn't be easy and he knew there would be setbacks but he could do this. He'd always have daddy issues, his siblings would always loath him (aside from the one pain that couldn't take a hint), and that was ok. He had always had Maze, and now he supposed he even had Chloe and Amenadiel as well. Maybe he wasn't as alone as he thought.

He jumped up and walked to the door, turning at the last second to look at the baffled woman on the couch. "You really are the best aren't you?"

Linda shrugged and threw up her hands, "So you say."

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chloe walked quietly to her car in the parking garage under the precinct, her thoughts on the case and the man who had disappeared from her kitchen this morning and never returned. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she looked around for anyone that might be watching her, her hand sliding to her gun to unlatch the holster.

The feeling became overwhelming and she whipped out her pistol and spun to aim at her stalker. Her stalker, it turned out, was a very tall handsome man with his hands up and a wide grin on his face. "Jesus Lucifer, I almost just shot you!"

"Again. You almost shot me again," he added as he made his way to her.

Chloe holstered her weapon and shook her head in denial; "You told me to the first time, that was not my fault."

"And you do everything people tell you to? I find that hard to believe." He stopped only a hairs breath away forcing his smaller counterpart to have to stretch her neck to look up at him.

"Where'd you go this morning?"

Dark eyes bore into hers, "I needed to gather my thoughts."

Chloe reached up and traced around his bruised right eye, "And did your thoughts punch you in the face?"

"No that was someone else but that's not of any import at the moment." This was it, he could do this. "Chloe, I l-"

"Jesus Christ you're back?" Dan shouted from by the elevators. "I thought you were dead! You're like a cockroach!"

Lucifer glared over his shoulder, eyes glowing red before snapping his fingers and freezing the man and everything around them. "Now, as I was saying," he continued.

"Did you just freeze time again?" the female detective laughed.

"Yes, it's quite fun now that I can fully exercise my abilities in front of you and the douche. Now if you could please stop speaking so I can finally get this out before I have an aneurysm it would be greatly appreciated." He waited a moment for any indication of her talking or anything else happening before finally feeling that they would not be interrupted again. "Chloe, I-" he waited for something to happen and smirked in satisfaction when it didn't. "I love you."

Chloe's smile slowly faded until it was gone completely, her mind trying to comprehend what he was saying. She had wanted so badly to hear those words but she knew she had to ask, "Are you sure?"

Lucifer threw his head back and laughed, hugging her closer. "Yes quite," he chuckled.


	18. Tea Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little more angst and a little bit of fluff, this chapter picks up immediately after the last. Also we're getting closer to the end, probably only a chapter or two left but I did include something that some of you have been requesting, a sex scene!
> 
> Song: Tea Party by Kerli

"I love you."

Chloe's smile slowly faded until it was gone completely, her mind trying to comprehend what he was saying. She had wanted so badly to hear those words but she knew she had to ask, "Are you sure?"

Lucifer threw his head back and laughed, hugging her closer. "Yes quite," he chuckled.

With smiles adorning both their faces they stared at one another, both not wanting this little moment frozen in time to end. Lucifer, for the first time since returning, felt like he had actually done something other than self destruct. He wanted more but wasn't sure how much, how much he could honestly handle.

The conflict was obvious on his face so Chloe decided to get rid of it, he needed to stop thinking and start being impulsive again. She missed that particular personality trait the most, the part of him that just didn't care about the consequences, that didn't even stop to think about what was right or wrong. "Stop thinking." At his startled laugh she grabbed his head and forced his face down to hers, "First thing that pops into your head. Do it."

"You want me to punch your ex-husband in the face?" he asked innocently. "Well if you insist."

Chloe mock glared, "No."

He grinned adorably before finally doing as his detective wished, he stopped thinking. As his lips pressed against hers he was reminded of how wonderful it was to live in the moment, to only have to focus on what's directly in front of you. The kiss was slow and languid, both taking the time to fully appreciate the connection.

Chloe loved kissing Lucifer, it was always just the right bit of naughty and because of what he was his mouth was so much warmer than anyone else's. They were all consuming, from the way his blunt teeth nipped at her bottom lip to the way he always paid special attention to her pulse point. Her entire body ached with want and she let out a breathy moan when Lucifer trailed feather light kisses all the way down her neck and across her collar bones. "If you keep making noises like that I'm going to lose my focus."

"What could you possibly be focusing on?" she groaned when his hands began to roam over her clothes.

"Stopping time, it doesn't just happen love," he laughed softly.

It was nice, the two of them finally getting to be together again but there was still something that just didn't feel right about it. It as like he was only doing this for her, and she didn't want that. He seemed to be enjoying himself but his movements weren't as fluid, his touch hesitant and it wouldn't be fair to either of them to push this. Reluctantly she placed a hand on his chest and nudged him backwards. "I think we should stop."

Instead of looking angry the Devil almost looked embarrassed and in silent agreement, stepped back. "I suppose you're right, I've never been very good at multi-tasking. Shall I leave the Douche? Send him to a deserted island? Make him think it was all in his head? I'm in a generous mood so choice is yours."

Chloe and Lucifer stood shoulder to shoulder, as close as physically possible staring at the man frozen by the elevators with a quite stupid expression on his face. "I really don't want to deal with this tonight, can you make him forget?"

"Not forget," he clarified. "Even I can't erase memories, but I can manipulate them. In a few moments time will resume and he'll believe that his rather long work day and numerous nips of alcohol made him hallucinate."

"Are you coming over tonight?" she asked, finally leaving his side and entering her car.

"Not tonight," he replied. "Things to do at the club. Now go on, if I hold time any longer I'm going to get a bloody nose and I rather like this shirt."

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"When's your birthday?"

Lucifer peered over the top of his teacup at the brown haired tiny human sitting across from him, "I haven't the slightest idea. There was no such concept of time when I was created."

"We should make you up one then," Trixie offered, pouring him more tea from the plastic pink teapot in her white glove-covered hand.

The Devil looked down into his cup and glared at the fact there was nothing actually there. Chloe owed him big time. "Far be it from me to know how birthdays work but I don't think you're supposed to just pick a day," he said distractedly, watching a stuffed animal fall forward and face plant onto his saucer.

Trixie set down the teapot and sat back down, fixing her dress and tiara before lightly scolding Mr. Bigglesworth the bear for being rude in front of her guest. "Mommy always tries to talk like you're supposed to at tea parties but she's really bad at it."

Lucifer shifted in his tiny chair, briefly wondering if he would just be better on the floor, before perking up with interest. "Your mother impersonates an English accent?" he grinned, "I'd love to hear that." His legs were starting to go numb and it was difficult to move with his elbows repeatedly hitting his knees but he stayed seated. After all, a promise was a promise. "Speaking of, when is your mother getting back from wherever she had to run off to?"

Trixie shrugged, "She said it was for work."

It was the same thing she had told him. He had just walked through the door when she had grabbed her keys and announced she had something at the precinct she had to do and couldn't get in touch with the sitter. Baby sitter, who came up with that ludicrous term? He had promised to keep the hell spawn happy, which in hind sight might have been a mistake seeing as he was now crammed into a purple chair a mere eight inches off the ground. It was surprising but he wasn't exactly having a dreadful time with the Decker offspring, she was just so honest. There were no hidden meanings in conversations, no worry of treachery or betrayal. It was just her. "Do you know they have a breakfast cereal with your name on it?"

Trixie giggled, "It doesn't taste good, and my real name is Beatrice."

"I'm aware," he groaned, the numbness now spreading to his back. "Bringer of happiness. Do you feel you're aptly named?"

She nodded, "I make mommy and you and daddy happy." The man looked taken back and opened his mouth to argue that point but was cut off. "What does Lucifer mean?"

"Light bringer," he answered shortly, hoping she would drop it. He wasn't in the mood to talk anymore about his life, he had done enough of that lately.

"So we're kind of the same thing," she smiled. "We both make people happy."

He couldn't help but chuckle. "I don't thank many others would agree with you but I must say I appreciate the sentiment. I'm been told I'm many things but someone that makes others happy is definitely a new one."

Trixie reached under her bed and pulled out a tupperware container with chocolate cake in it and placed it on the table. After prying off the lid she grabbed a small sparkly fork and dug in. "Do you want some?"

"Do I want some desert that you keep under your bed like some sort of illegal paraphernalia?" he repeated, his expression flat. "I think I'll pass thank you." He watched in morbid fascination as she ate bite after bite, her expression filled with joy and contentment. "You know that's how you get ants."

The sound of the door opening made Trixie's eyes widen, her small hands working quickly to secure the cake and return it to it's original location. Lucifer for his part just watched and wondered if she had any idea of how much cake she was wearing on her face. Most likely not. Not wanting the child to get chastised for simply enjoying a treat he gestured to her face and frowned in disgust when she wiped down her mouth with the underside of her dress.

"Where or where can my Trixie bug be?" Chloe called out.

"Trixie bug indeed," the Devil mumbled.

Chloe stood in the doorway to her daughters room and took in the pair, Trix dressed in all her princess wear having a very formal tea party with Lucifer, who looked much like a frog with his knees up around his shoulders. "Well isn't this nice."

Lucifer uncurled himself and stood, lifting his arms above his head to finally stretch out, his fingertips brushing the ceiling. "Well now that you've returned I suppose I'm relieved of my duties and will retire to my normal size furniture and adult beverages."

He made a move to walk to the door but only made it a step before Trixie grabbed him and hugged his leg tightly, "I had fun today, you made me happy."

"You're just saying that so you'll be right." His finger pointed to her and moved up and down, "You've got everyone else fooled but not me." His eyes widened, "You've been lying this whole day haven't you? Just buttering me up for your own nefarious purposes."

Trixie didn't respond but her innocent smile transformed into a smirk as she let go and turned around, allowing Lucifer to try to leave the room. Chloe's hand tightly wrapped around his bicep when he reached the door frame and squeezed a hair tighter than what could be considered polite. "Don't leave yet, give me a little bit to get her ready for bed."

Intrigued he offered a short nod and retired to the kitchen to rummage through her cabinets in search of a stiff drink, he felt he deserved one after drinking air out of a plastic cup for the past two hours with a deceitful little offspring. He almost felt proud of her. His face lit up when he found what he was looking for in the very back of the cabinet to the left of the fridge and after grabbing a tumbler he dropped down into a chair at the table and waited.

Chloe quietly closed her daughter's door, making sure her music was a little louder than normal and walked to the kitchen, grabbing something off the counter before joining the man at the table. He looked relaxed, perfectly at ease. His brows weren't pinched and his eyes were unfocused, it seemed his mind was empty.

Not wanting to disturb him she opened the file she had grabbed and spread everything out on the table, a pen clutched in her right hand as she finished up reports. It was quiet and serene, neither feeling the need to break the silence for quite a while.

"Is this the case of the woman in the stairwell?" Lucifer asked curiously. At Chloe's nod he hummed a little. "Sorry I wasn't much help, I figured you should try to do this one on your own. Think of it as a confidence builder."

"Contrary to popular belief I can do things on my own and I assure you I'm quite confident."

"Cocky too," he mumbled under his breath.

Trying to use this as an opportunity she added, "It turns out it was one of her friends that assaulted her. Someone she had known for a long time, not necessarily trusted but never thought them capable of this. We caught him but not alive, he opened fire, we had to protect ourselves." Never once did she directly look at the man next to her but she was hyper aware of the way his breathing minutely increased and the tension that appeared in his shoulders. Please just talk to me.

Lucifer was not a stupid man, by any account, and felt foolish that he hadn't expected Chloe to know. Everyone seemed to know, apparently he should have just had a button made. Perhaps it would help though, to speak to her. He trusted her, explicitly, so the chance of her viewing or using it as a weakness was slim to none. "Hell was- not what I remembered it to be," he started, refusing to make eye contact.

Chloe stayed quiet and tried to focus on what was in front of her on the table, or at least pretend to focus on it. The last thing he needed was to be crowded.

"I was alone, and I don't do well alone. I haven't been alone since I was created; there was always at least someone there. I was foolish, distracted, and arrogant," he pressed on. "Beleth, which means nothing to you, decided he was going to step up since I was gone. You would think the role would be my birthright but its not, you have to fight to have and keep anything down there. Maze usually sorted them out so I could focus on other things but she wasn't there this time."

The room was silent again for a few minutes, Chloe aching to hear more and Lucifer slowly slipping more into the past. She was afraid he wasn't going to start again so she began to move her papers around again, making just enough noise to snap him out of it.

"I took down one of them, ripped his beating heart out of his chest with my bare hand, which I'm not going to lie felt pretty damn good. There was too many, entirely too many." He knew he was rambling now, probably not making much sense, but he couldn't seem to stop. "You don't get to be the Devil by walking the straight and narrow, you cause pain and fear. Eventually the line between pain and everything else just blurs, and you can't tell if what you're doing hurts or is enjoyable. There's almost a numbness that fills you. They knew that though," he finished on a harder note.

Chloe looked up when the light over the table flickered, the air getting a little too thick to comfortably breath and she doubted he had any idea that his eyes were starting to glow ruby. It took some doing to not react to his eyes, to run away from something so not natural but she kept reminding herself that this was Lucifer, and even though he was something she'd never fully understand he would never hurt her in any way. It wasn't often he did anything in front of her but now that she knew what he was and could do she noticed it more when he did. Stopping time was a hell of a power trip but everything he did wasn't directly attached to him, his appearance though, that's what made her take pause.

"It wasn't enough to hurt me, no. They wanted to break me down to nothing. They went after the one thing that I have never allowed anyone to ever take from me since my creation."

The blonde lifted her hand and laid it softly on Lucifer's arm, forcing him to look at her and not at the wall any longer. "What did they take?"

His anger left in an instant, his eyes returning to black and the air settling, his shoulders sagging. "My pride." He finished what was left in his glass and set it back down, choosing not to refill it. "Linda says I need to say it out loud, something about power or whatnot and don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about because apparently everyone does."

Chloe squeezed his arm, "Dr. Martin's right. It's just you and I, you can tell me anything."

Lucifer looked positively disgusted at the situation and himself. "I don't see the bloody point when everyone already knows," he snapped, his mood quickly deteriorating as he vacated his seat. "I'm getting a little tired of everyone telling me what I need to do. I'll do whatever I damn well please!"

Chloe's eyes narrowed dangerously as she pushed back her chair and stood, venom in her tone as she poked his chest with her finger. "Well if you'd stop being such a stubborn ass maybe everyone wouldn't hound you. You talk a big game but you can't even say a simple word, how the hell is anyone supposed to think you're capable of doing anything? All you do is walk around with your tail between your legs, what happened to the almighty invincible Devil? What happened that turned you into a sniveling little child?

"I was raped by one of the very things I created!" he shouted.

The silence was deafening.

Lucifer's eyes went wide and Chloe but her lip, guilt filling her. It had to be done but goodness did she feel terrible for everything she said to rile him up. Knowing he was probably thinking about storming out, he had a flare for the dramatics, she stepped forward and hugged him tightly, refusing to let go even when he tried to pry her off. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean any of it. I just-"

"I know," he whispered. "You did what everyone else was too cowardly to do. Not many people survive after poking the Devil with a stick."

She looked up at him, her grip still snug, and was pleased to see he wasn't shutting down or angry. In fact, he just looked tired. Her arm reached out behind him to feel blindly for the light switch so they could go upstairs but it was just out of reach. Pushing the man in her arms backwards she felt the wall touch her fingertips but still couldn't seem to find the damn switch. A small aborted sound made her look up.

Lucifer looked down at the woman wrapped around his waist and tried to swallow a laugh. When she looked up he had to ask, "What on earth are you doing?"

"Trying to turn off the light without letting you go," she huffed, a smile splitting her cheeks at the amusement in his eyes.

"Devil dearie," he chuckled and snapped his fingers, the lights going out. "And you can release me, I have no intentions of leaving."

Chloe finally let her arms fall to her sides, "Good, and why don't you do the snap thing all the time?"

The pair ascended the stairs, one by one, as Lucifer answered. "Nothing good has ever come from being lazy."

"So how was your afternoon with Trix?"

Lucifer helped her make the bed and cheekily smiled as he snapped his fingers and the light turned off. "Small. And I was forced to drink nothing out of obscenely bright dinnerware and Mr. Bigglesworth was chastised for being rude and apparently intoxicated."

A laugh bubbled out of Chloe as she slid her shirt over her head and pulled down her jeans, kicking them to the bathroom once off. "Mr. Bigglesworth has really been hitting the liquor cabinet lately, as have you apparently."

Lucifer scoffed, "Are you saying my coping mechanisms are unhealthy?"

"If you were human you'd be pickled," she stated flatly, sliding under the covers and watching Lucifer do the same. In fact he seemed to be so distracted that any reservations he had lately about stripping in front of her were gone, seeing as he was down to his boxer-briefs and climbing in next to her.

"Well then lets just be thankful I'm not."

Lucifer laid in the darkness for a moment, a smile on his face and the begrudging realization that perhaps he did feel better after getting his issues out in the open. Perhaps he could finally start to move on from this entire ridiculous thing that had effectively rendered him impotent which pretty much took away ninety-percent of his personality.

A soft whisper next to him asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"That my bed is so much larger and comfier than this one, why don't we stay at the loft more often? What are you thinking about?"

Chloe rolled over and scooted next to him, leaving just enough room to not make him uncomfortable but close enough to feel the heat from his skin. Her hand landed on his chest, splayed wide on his smooth porcelain skin and with a start she realized this was the first time she had truly gotten to touch him since he had returned. It wasn't even about anything sexual, just the intimacy that two people feel with skin-to-skin contact. Although she could really use a good lay and he did look just as delicious as she remembered. "Naughty things."

This was it, and both knew was afraid to take away the progress they had made as of late but she just wanted him so bad. He was here right next to her and she just couldn't stand it any longer, her resolve had all but crumbled. Maybe it was too soon but then again he processed things differently than others, she supposed that was what came after being alive since the dawn of time.

Lucifer mentally scolded himself for the apprehension filling him. This was Chloe, the light in his very dark world. He wanted this, most likely just as bad as she and kept repeating the mantra stop thinking, stop thinking, stop thinking. He needed to just let go, and once he did it was like seeing the world in an entirely new way. He wanted, no needed, to be in control. He was always in control even when things went sideways, which did happen on occasion, but he had a way about him that still allowed him to take over. The illusion of control was something everyone had, but he was the Devil, he was born with the ability to control. It was ingrained in his very being and he was done ignoring it.

Chloe released a surprised laugh when Lucifer grabbed her around the waist and covered her body with his own, his knee forcing her legs apart. "Naughty things hmm? Do tell."

It was hard to think with him kissing, licking, and nipping across her shoulders and neck, one of his hands tangled in her hair and one firmly attached to her hip. "That I want you to fuck me," she moaned, surprised at her language but just not caring at this point.

Lucifer continued his ministrations downward, trailing his tongue down her sternum, taking pleasure in the gooseflesh appearing across her breasts. "You can do better," he rumbled before easily removing her lavender bra and scraping his teeth over one of her nipples.

"On my desk," she panted, her fingers curling in his hair and tugging lightly.

His stubble lightly grazed her stomach making her skin burn before being soothed by a trail of wet kisses. "Go on," he murmured, his fingers toying with the hem of her last layer.

"While Dan watches."

Lucifer dropped his head onto her stomach and laughed, a true whole body laugh that quickly turned into hysterical giggling. Hearing him laugh so hard set off Chloe who began to giggle as well. "You asked!"

Still laughing Lucifer managed to get out, "I don't even know what to say to that." He began laughing harder again before finally blowing out a breath trying to suppress it. "Did you do that on purpose?"

The detective tried to stay silent, small laughs still escaping her. "Maybe. I had to break the tension, it was too much."

The Devil shook his head and sat up on his knees, sliding off his bedmate's knickers. Sex was always about pleasure, arousal, physical satisfaction but laughing during sex, even foreplay, was something new. It changed the dynamic, taking the focus off the act and putting it on the relationship between the two. He rather enjoyed it. Still huffing out a few laughs he grabbed the blanket and covered them both after seeing Chloe shiver slightly in the cool night air.

"Alright that's enough, I'm trying to fornicate here."

She grabbed his face and kissed him firmly, smiling against his lips. "Sorry, fornicate away."

"Thank you," he mocked before shaking his head. "Bloody woman." Done with waiting any longer, there would be other times for more involved foreplay, he allowed Chloe's soft hands to strip him down and pull him closer to continue kissing him. Her lips eventually left his and fell across his jawline before settling just behind his ear, her tongue tracing the outside edge. It was too much, the yearning he had been suppressing coming back full force and when she placed a firm nip on his lobe he slid inside her.

She gasped at the feeling, a pleasant fullness filling her, a warmth spreading from deep in her belly. After taking a moment to adjust she slid her hand down his back and urged him to move, pleasure exploding in her as soon as he complied. His pace was brutally slow, pushing in almost as far as he could before beginning to pull out, almost completely, before starting again.

Heaven, that's what Chloe Decker felt like Lucifer thought to himself. The way she let out soft gasps, the way her hands grabbed his thighs to force him ever deeper, the way she perfectly fit around him. The room was dark, but not dark enough that he couldn't see her cheeks flushed pink, pupils blown with lust, teeth biting into her lower lip to hold on a little longer. She was gorgeous.

He could drag this out, make it last all night but he was not going to deny himself any longer than need be. Being the Devil had its perks, like a very short refractory period, meaning even though this one might be quick, the next several would not. With a firm grip he wrapped her legs around his narrow hips and rose to a kneeling position. He wanted to see every inch of her bathed in moonlight. His pace quickened, his hands grabbed her hips in a bruising grip and his eyes took in the heave of her chest and the expression of ecstasy covering her face.

She was so close, small whimpers filling the room making her need obvious, her hands clenched in the pillow behind her head. When a hand slid away from her hip and his thumb hit just the right spot she couldn't hold in the cry of pleasure that filled the room. Her entire body shook, every muscle clenching and quivering, lids clenched shut. Every nerve in her body was on fire and when he leaned forward and placed his arms on either side of her changing the angle she came again, her nails biting into his forearms when she grabbed them.

Seeing Chloe come undone, blonde hair spread around her head like a halo and sharp pains shooting up his arms from her fingernails, was all it took for Lucifer to completely unravel. He continued to pound into her, his movements becoming erratic, his head dropping and his eyes closing.

He was right there, and Chloe knew it. Her hands rose and grabbed his face, forcing him to look her in the eye. "I want to see your face when you come."

His breath hitched and his eyes became unfocused, his hips stuttering as she felt him empty himself inside her. He was so handsome, lips parted and eyes hooded, an expression of relaxed bliss with a tightness in his jaw as he panted harshly, his hips still moving involuntarily as he throbbed inside of her. Unable to support himself any longer he collapsed on top of Chloe, his head on her chest over her heart. "I love you."


	19. You Got It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So this is it, last chapter. This has been quite the journey and I thank you all for sharing it with me. It had its ups and downs and even a plot change in the middle but I'm quite pleased with how it turned out.
> 
> Song: You Got It by Roy Orbison

Lucifer's eyes snapped open at the sound of a door closing somewhere beneath him and he stretched as he stifled a yawn. A smile unwilling spread across his face as he remembered last night, it felt good to be back. He felt relaxed, safe, and pleasantly sated in Chloe's bed and almost didn't want to get out of it. Luckily he didn't have to.

"Sorry, I tried to be quiet," Chloe said softly as she entered the room and plopped down on the bed dressed in her robe, hair deliciously tangled. "Trixie's spending the day with her friend Mandy, I figured I'd be nice to spend the day together. Just you and I."

"Too much talking," he mumbled and pulled her closer. "And too much clothing."

The blonde smirked and tossed her robe on the floor before climbing under the covers and curling into his side. "I didn't think Mandy's mom would appreciate my lack of clothing as much as you do."

"Her loss," he murmured, pulling her on top of him and peppering her face with feather light kisses.

"Stop," she tried before laughing and saying it again when he ignored her. "Seriously stop I want to talk to you for a minute."

Lucifer looked up at her expectantly and placed his hands behind his head, "Well? Out with it so we can move on to more salacious things."

Chloe sat up and situated herself on his hips, her fingernails gently tracing a pattern on his stomach. "How do you feel?"

"Horny."

She whacked him in the chest, "You know what I mean."

Yes he did, he wasn't daft. He honestly had to think about the answer though, _how did he feel _? The dark cloud that seemed to have been following him everywhere seemed to have cleared and Chloe's intimate touches weren't affecting him negatively in any way, shape, or form. A lot of anger had left him last night, at himself and the people around him. There were still issues to be dealt with, like if he would have to eventually return to Hell and could he restore order, his brother, and the likely hood that he could suffer some sort of setback at any point but all in all- "Good. I mean not perfect but pretty damn close."__

Her teeth bit into her bottom lip before smiling, "Good, now lets deal with your other issue. I can tell it's pretty prominent."

He smirked at her innuendo and pulled the blonde beauty back down, his hands already wandering over her tan skin. "You have no idea."

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Some time later the two finally descended the stairs, Lucifer in just his boxer-briefs and Chloe wrapped in his dress shirt that most likely cost more than her car. Both looked thoroughly tousled and Chloe knew that she could definitely wake up to this every morning. His hair was more fluffed than normal and his stubble a bit darker from not shaving; it was like seeing him for the first time. All his walls were down, nothing between him and the world and she felt privileged to be able to see him like this. "Want to help me cook breakfast?" she asked coyly, holding up a frying pan and an egg.

"It's not funny!" he immediately responded, managing to look disgusted and intimidated. "Don't you have bacon or something other than the unborn?"

She dug through the fridge, ignoring the fact that Lucifer was most likely enjoying the view and pulled out a few things. "You'll eat bacon, but not eggs? You do know bacon comes from a pig right?"

"Yes but at least the little porker was properly born," he argued, filling up a cup of coffee and handing it to her. "Tea?"

She pointed to the cabinet to the right of her, "Top shelf."

It felt oddly domestic, Lucifer leaning against the counter sipping a cup of tea and Chloe making bacon and pancakes. She knew this wouldn't last forever and that was ok, she had done the whole marriage thing, she wanted excitement now and she knew he wouldn't disappoint. Sure there would be days like this but it was a good thing that it wouldn't become commonplace, Lucifer didn't seem to be made for such human things. Speaking of. "You've got to be kidding me."

"What?" he asked innocently, pouring liquor into his cup of tea. "The Devil runs on sins and alcohol."

She wanted to say something but really, what was the point? He was immortal, its not like liver disease was an issue and apparently he couldn't get drunk. It was still a little unnerving to see him drink it as easily as water though.

"My shirts going to smell like breakfast now," he suddenly announced as the bacon began to pop. "I'm going to smell like a diner."

She grabbed two plates and pushed breakfast onto them, "I'm sure you'll manage."

He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, his head dropping to place a kiss on her ear. "Thank you."

Both knew he wasn't talking about breakfast and she spun around in his embrace and pinched the top of his ears, eliciting a growl. "You're welcome."

A knock on the door pulled them from the bubble they had made and when a voice rang out Lucifer's face lit up like a child on Christmas morning.

"No," the detective whispered furiously, holding him to her and not letting him get away. "Do not let Dan in this house."

"Oh come on," he whined, "I just want to have a bit of fun." His voice dropped an octave, "We could make what you talked about last night happen."

It had the desired effect as she jumped back and backed away, "No! We are not having sex in front of my ex-husband. Can you please just behave yourself for like two minutes?"

He grinned darkly, "How about I surprise you?"

"How about not," she deadpanned before sucking in a deep breath and unlocking the door, opening it just enough to talk to her ex but not enough for him to see in. "What Dan?"

Dan frowned, "Why can't I come in?"

"Why would you need to?" she argued. "Today's my day off and you know that. What do you need?"

He shrugged, "I can't just stop by to say hi? I saw you leaving the garage last night and I thought I saw- never mind, its just been a long week. You want to get breakfast?"

"It's really not a good time," she explained, knowing that Lucifer was either going to explode from trying to contain himself or rip the door off the hinges in about two seconds.

His eyes narrowed, "Is that a man's shirt? Who the hell is in there with you?"

"How do you know it's not one of mine," she argued, using a trick from Lucifer's book and avoiding the question.

"It's way too big."

"That's what she said!" came the gleeful reply from the kitchen and Chloe closed her eyes and prepared for the battle that was coming. He had lasted longer than she thought he would, points for effort. Stepping back she allowed Dan to shoulder his way in and freeze at the sight of the man in front of him.

"You died, Chloe told me you were in Hell!" he shouted before looking him up and down, "And why are you in your underwear?"

Lucifer stared at him in incredulity, "And you solve crimes? Like real crimes?"

"You slept with Chloe last night! And she made you breakfast?"

"There you go!" he mocked as he slow clapped. "A bit slow on the uptake but gold star for you." Lucifer couldn't stop grinning, every single one of his pearly white teeth visible but before he could bite out a scathing comment Chloe stepped in front of him and crossed her arms. It was adorable really, this tiny woman trying to protect him from the least threatening thing in the room.

"Dan, this has nothing to do with you. I can be with whoever I want."

"That's not a who Chloe, that's a thing," he spat. "We both know he's not human."

The Devil eye rolled, "Your words wound me."

Before Dan could react Chloe held up a hand, "No we're not doing this, we're having a nice morning after and I am not going to let you come in here and upset myself and the man I love."

The Devil had wanted to toy with him, but Chloe's words cut so much deeper so he stayed quiet, enjoying the show.

"You love him?" Dan shrieked. "Even after knowing what he is," he pressed on. "Come on Chloe, use your brain! I know you lost it a little after the affair but are you really that far gone? Think of our daughter, do you really want her around _him _? The man came back from Hell, if he wasn't messed up before he definitely is now."__

The hairs on Chloe's arms stood up, an uneasy feeling filling her as the air thickened and based off Dan's expression she had a pretty good idea of who was causing it.

Lucifer's eyes went red in an instant, his hands settling on Chloe's hips in a possessive manner that he knew he would get chastised for later. "You're a fun little toy Daniel but you've stopped being amusing," he ground out.

Dan's eyes flickered to Chloe and back to Lucifer, who hadn't moved, his eyes unblinkingly boring into his. The man could act so human but this, this was purely animalistic. He had seen this look before; the stillness, the coiled tension in every muscle, the focus. It was on the nature channel when the lions were just about to attack their prey. He didn't want to but he looked away, unable to hold eye contact anymore and clenched his fists at giving in so easily.

"Don't be too hard on yourself Dan," Lucifer offered, his soft tone not matching the sneer on his face. "It's in your nature to submit."

Chloe turned and looked up at her boyfriend who looked down at her innocently, his eyes black and a small smile on his lips. Her eyes narrowed before she turned back to her ex-husband. "Why does it have to be like this Dan? I'm not going to keep doing this with you. If you can't for me then at least do it for Trixie. You don't have to like the man but you need to respect me enough to accept my choices or Trixie is the one who's going to suffer."

Dan nodded in defeat. "You're right. I'm uh- going to stay away for a while. I'll come on my days to pick up Trix in the morning."

Lucifer almost felt bad and he'd forever blame his softness on the woman in his arms. "For the benefit of the child, I'll refrain from being here at those times if it would lessen the burden."

Chloe squeezed his hand and Dan looked at him with a spark of respect before turning and leaving without another word.

The pair was quiet for a few moments until Lucifer spun around and grabbed a piece of bacon, "Well that was a fun chat to have in my underpants."

Chloe turned around and shook her head at the Devil leaning against the sink munching on bacon dressed in only his underwear, what had her life come to?

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Maze grinned when she saw Lucifer walk in, "I can smell her on you from here."

"Perv," he snarked before breezing past her only to halt a half step away when a familiar smell filled his nostrils. "Glass houses Maze, glass houses." At her smirk he groaned, "He's not here is he? I've already had one douche try to ruin my day, I don't need another ruining my night."

"Amenadiel left for a bit, figured you'd seen enough of him lately." She followed him to the piano and leaned against it as he began to play. "So looks like you finally got what you wanted."

"It would seem so yes," he agreed. "I don't think I've ever properly thanked you Mazikeen."

The demon shrugged, "I was made to protect you."

Lucifer instantly shook his head. "No, no it's more than that. You know why I created you and you have fulfilled every task asked of you but it's more than that."

Maze groaned. "Please tell me you're not getting sentimental."

"Sush yourself," he ordered before turning to face her fully, his face open and honest. "You went to Hell to fetch me Maze, and more than that, you brought me back. You could have stayed there, been home but you gave it all up to get me back to earth. You've coddled me during my sniveling little weaknesses and protected me from every foreseeable threat. You've been the closest thing to a friend I've ever had." Swallowing thickly he looked Maze dead in the eye, "You made an oath to me and I- I release you of it Mazikeen."

The demon stood still trying to process what he was saying, "I'm free?" she asked softly. At his nod she walked over and promptly slapped him in the back of the head.

"What was that for?" he cried.

"For being such a dunce," she smirked. "I get the grand gesture and everything but I don't stay with you because of an oath. I stay with you because I want to. You made me, I was literally made for you and nothing will change that. We'll always be together."

Mulling over her words he could see her point and huffed a small laugh, "I suppose you're right. It's been quite a journey so far, hasn't it?"

"That's one thing to call it," she deadpanned. "Mess would be the word I'd pick."

"Oh come now, it wasn't all bad and think of what the future holds for us!" he continued excitedly.

Maze grabbed a bottle of liquor and two glasses from the bar and sat down next to him, pouring them both a drink. "Whatever it is it can't be as bad as this year's been. You can't even make half this shit up."

"Right?" he laughed. "I can't believe I'm saying this but I really hope things get just a bit more boring."

She scoffed. "You can't mean that, you feed off chaos."

"I can attest to that," the newest arrival agreed.

Lucifer looked at his brother with a less than pleased scowl, "I thought you left. Everything was all wrapped up with a pretty little bow and now you've gone and scuffed the wrapping paper. I don't know whether to laugh or cry."

Amenadiel chuckled, "Oh Luci, always with the dramatics. I come bearing gifts."

"Well unless it's a punching bag with your face on it I'm not interested," he continued ranting.

His brother ignored him and set down a small box, a smile on his lips. "From me to you. I think you've earned them."

Lucifer eyed the box skeptically and turned to say something but he was suddenly alone, Maze and Amenadiel gone with just a whisper of flapping wings. "I hate that you know!' he shouted to no one in particular.

Taking another drink he tried to ignore the box still sitting there, mocking him. Rolling his eyes he stood and began to walk away only to turn a few steps away and run back to the tiny package. Damn his curiosity.

His tongue darted out and he bit his lower lip, his fingers gently clasping the lid. It could be anything, the possibilities were endless. With slow careful movements he finally opened the box and peered inside. He couldn't believe it, his mouth parted in shock and he just continued staring.

Inside the box was a tiny pair of wings; white and shiny and-

-covered in enamel because it was a fucking pin. Amenadiel had gotten him a pin with wings on it.

"Oh ha ha. I'm adding this to the list of reasons I hate you!" he shouted, trying and failing to suppress the small smirk on his lips.

Shaking his head he stuffed the object in his pocket and let out a laugh, yes everything would be just fine.


	20. Sequel

The sequel is now up and filled with plenty of romance, angst, hurt/comfort, and fluff!

Devil Inside

"Trying to navigate through the human world and somehow manage the only relationship he's ever had is proving more difficult than anticipated for Lucifer. To add to his troubles an unknown adversary is toying with him while he struggles to find the balance between the man Chloe believes him to be and the Devil he knows he is."


End file.
